Early, late stages of degenerative diseases are distinct, study shows

Study: Early, late stages of degenerative diseases are distinct
Based on thousands of experiments over more than a decade, Rice University biochemists Michael Stern and James McNew believe degenerative diseases as varied as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and muscle atrophy occur in two phases (green and red) marked by distinct alterations in the activity of the signaling pathway proteins TOR, AMPK, Foxo and JNK. In the early phase (left), autophagy is suppressed, which increases oxidative stress, eventually bringing about the late phase (right) in which autophagy is restored, causing rapid degeneration. Credit: Michael Stern/Rice University

Rice University biochemists Michael Stern and James McNew have studied how neurodegeneration kills cells. They’ve conducted countless experiments over more than a decade, and they’ve summarized all they’ve learned in a…

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