Does starvation Induce Cell Death?

Researchers have found that cell death occurs due to starvation.A lack of nutrients triggers the appearence of death receptors in the membrane.

You might want to re-think about starving yourself to lose weight.In a new study, researchers have characterized cell death -- the process by which a body cell ceases to function and normal cellular functions such as respiration, metabolism and growth are terminated -- as linked to starvation. This study has been published in the journal of Molecular and Cellular Biology.//

"Usually, programmed cell death -- also called apoptosis -- follows a biochemical pathway related to the permeabilization of mitochondria; However, we observed that in cases of cell death due to lack of glucose, cells die in an unexpected way, following a process similar to what we would expect from an immune response," stated Dr. Cristina Muñoz-Pinedo, study's lead author.

Link Between Immunity and Cells' Starvation Response Revealed
In history, one of the most effective vaccines has been the yellow fever vaccine, which was developed in the 1930s and has been administered to more than 500 million people.

‘Starving yourself to lose weight can lead to cell death.’

The study finds that in cell-death-related treatments such as chemotherapy, the mitochondrial pathway is activated. Instead, when starved, cells activate the so-called "death receptors" on their membrane, which are normally used by the lymphocytes of the immune system to attack and destroy infected cells.

The researchers have been able to relate the activation of these membrane receptors to the endoplasmic reticulum, a cellular organelle involved in protein synthesis and lipid metabolism, as well as intracellular transport.

"Feeling the stress produced by the lack of nutrients, the reticulum sends an alarm signal that triggers the appearance of death receptors in the membrane", said Dr. Muñoz-Pinedo.

The Destiny of Self-eating Cells Controlled By Molecular Switch Controls
The study is the result of a collaboration of scientists, who were interested in finding out whether autophagy can be affected by events in the cell nucleus.

"According to our in vitro results, we assume that this is how the tumor cells located in the center of a tumor -- the so-called necrotic core -- die, because there are never enough nutrients in those areas. On the other hand, in ischemia, besides the lack of oxygen there is also cell death due to lack of glucose, so this process could also be related to the activity of the endoplasmic reticulum at a biochemical level," added the IDIBELL researcher. (ANI)

Source-ANI

How Cancer Cells Avoid Cell Death Process
Researchers have got an important new insight about how cell death process is being avoided by the cancer cells. The findings may also suggest a chemotherapeutic approach to prevent the spread of cancers.

Link Between Tumor Suppressors and Starvation Survival Suggested By CU Study
A study finds that a particular tumor suppressor gene that fights cancer cells does more than clamp down on unabated cell division.