Translational tidbits

Astellas Pharma Inc. and Cancer Research UK announced a two-year research collaboration last week that will initially focus on identifying new drug targets that could block autophagy to treat pancreatic cancer. The collaboration builds upon recent work from U.K. scientists showing that the process plays a key role in the development of some pancreatic tumors.¹

Autophagy is a process whereby cells maintain homeostasis by directing components of the cytoplasm to the lysosome to undergo degradation, freeing metabolites for use in other cellular processes. In the nutrient-deficient environment of tumors, autophagy can serve as an alternative energy source that helps cells survive and grow...