Fighting tuberculosis using the body's natural anti-microbial processes

New Rochelle, NY, April 15, 2015—A new approach to combatting tuberculosis would take advantage of a complex, natural process called autophagy that the human body uses to recycle nutrients, remove damaged cell components, eliminate invading bacteria, and respond to inflammation. In addition to its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy, autophagy is the focus of increasing research to understand the role it may have in a range of diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, as discussed in a series of in-depth articles that comprise the special issue “Autophagy in Disease” of DNA and Cell Biology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The issue is available free on the DNA and Cell Biology website until May 15, 2014.