Transient systemic autophagy ablation irreversibly inhibits lung tumor cell metabolism and promotes T-cell mediated tumor killing.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process pivotal to cellular homeostasis and support of tumorigenesis. Being a potential therapeutic target for cancer, we have worked to understand the implications of autophagy inhibition both systemically, and tumor-specifically. We utilized inducible expression of shRNA to temporally control autophagy levels in a reversible manner to study the effects of tumor-intrinsic and systemic autophagic loss and restoration on established (KP) lung tumor growth.

Structural insight into transmissive mutant huntingtin species by correlative light and electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography.

Aggregates of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) containing an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract are hallmarks of Huntington's Disease (HD). Studies have shown that mHTT can spread between cells, leading to the propagation of misfolded protein pathology. However, the structure of transmissive mHTT species, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their transmission remain unknown.