Coordinated protein breakdown and synthesis: a key to
healthy growth of cells
Discovery has implications for cancer and diabetes research
The cells in our bodies are involved in a continuous process
of breakdown and re-growth that is essential to life itself. During a process
that can be likened to self-cannibalism, the proteins within the cells are
broken down into their component amino acids, which then act as the building
blocks for the growth and renewal of cells. Serious diseases may result from a
disruption of this process. This is the case with cancer, where cancerous cells
grow quickly, but the ability of the cells to digest themselves is compromised.
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