Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Recent research from the Simon Group has discovered an unexpected novel role that autophagy plays during the generation of neutrophils.

Within human bone marrow two million neutrophils are generated every second which require complex regulation and substantial bio-energy.   The mechanisms that govern these are not yet fully understood.

Researchers at the Kennedy Institute have found that autophagy can degrade lipid droplets in neutrophil precursors to generate the large amounts of molecular energy-currency (adenosine triphosphate) required to sustain differentiation. By breaking down lipid droplets into free fatty acids, autophagy fuels a respiration pathway in the mitochondria, the energy-producing factories of cells, to enable differentiation.

In line with this, researchers found defects in the autophagy pathway associated with acute myeloid leukaemia, a disease that is characterised by immature myeloid precursors which are blocked in their differentiation.

You can read the full article on Immunity

The next goal for the researchers is to test if we can exploit this autophagy pathway to overcome the differentiation block in myeloid leukemia.  

Find out more about the Simon Group.

Similar stories

NIHR Fellowships awarded to NDORMS researchers

Congratulations to Eileen Morrow and Mae Chester-Jones who have received NIHR Doctoral Fellowships

ORUK Early Career Research Fellowship awarded to NDORMS researcher

Congratulations to Jack Tu who has been awarded an Orthopaedic Research UK Early Career Research Fellowship to explore the cause of knee pain after total knee replacement.

OCTRU - delivering answers to important clinical questions

The Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU) has received NIHR benchmarking results and offers excellent value for money according to the report

Unhelpful thoughts about fracture symptoms hinder recovery

The importance of mindsets and feelings about fracture symptoms have been shown to be a key factor in recovery of musculoskeletal conditions.

Fat tissues can play a protective role against inflammation in the intestine

A new study in The EMBO Journal has revealed how fat tissues might provide a protective role in intestinal inflammation opening new lines of research into the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.

NDORMS researchers awarded Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowships

Kennedy Institute researchers Mariana Borsa and Edward Jenkins have both been awarded Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships, which give recently qualified postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to start independent research careers.