Published: 20 Jun 2017 | Last Updated: 10 Aug 2023 11:20:25

Leading academics met in London recently to discuss research that hopes to one day unlock the key to fighting diseases such as cancer and dementia.

Autophagy is the autonomous intracellular degradation system that delivers cytoplasmic constituents to the lysosomes. Scientists believe that this programme of organelles recycling can be harnessed to fight various conditions associated with impaired autophagy such as cancer and dementia.

The RVC were delighted that the Annual Meeting was chaired by Dr Michelangelo Campanella, Head of the Mitochondrial Cell Biology and Pharmacology Research Unit at the RVC, along with his UCL colleague Dr. Robin Ketteler.

In October 2016, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Prof. Yoshinori Ohsumi for his research on how cells break down and recycle their content via autophagy. Current research in this field is therefore seeking to develop suitable therapeutic interventions that, by harnessing autophagy, could treat various diseases.

The event featured international speakers, including: Prof. Beth Levine (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA), Dr. Felix Randow (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK) and Dr. Marja Jäättelä (Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, Copenhagen, DK) along with original contributions from laboratories across the network.

Dr Campanella, who is an expert in the mitochondria specific type of autophagy, said: “This year’s meeting has cemented the network, stressed the importance of this annual reunion for postgraduate students and postdocs, allowed presenters to gain competent and rigorous feedback to progress and excel in their endeavours. The eminent colleagues who pinpointed the event with their seminal talks have inspired us all thus completing a successful event that registered over 150 attendees. It has therefore been a tremendous privilege acting as chairman for this edition and gathered colleagues to London in a special year for autophagy which has in the United Kingdom one of its strong-hold in the international stage”.

The UK Network of Autophagy, founded in 2015, was conceived to create synergy across the researchers engaged in the topic. The meeting was an opportunity for young and established scientists to get together, share their findings, approaches and ideas to foster and inform best practice and applications in Autophagy. Discussions centred on how it can be used in the fight against two of the most significant diseases facing us today.

The event was sponsored by Amsbio, Journal of Cell Science, Bio-Techne, Proteintech, Enzo Life Sciences, Perkin Elmer, and Science AAAS. 

Press Office Contact

Uche Graves / Zoe Chadwick
T: 0800 368 9520
E: uche.graves@plmr.co.uk / zoe.chadwick@plmr.co.uk

Notes to Editors

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a constituent College of the University of London. The RVC offers undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences, being ranked in the top 10 universities nationally for biosciences degrees.  It is currently the only veterinary school in the world to hold full accreditation from AVMA, EAEVE, RCVS and AVBC.

A research-led institution, in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) the RVC maintained its position as the top HEFCE funded veterinary focused research institution.

The RVC also provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals; the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital in central London, the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (Europe's largest small animal referral centre), the Equine Referral Hospital, and the Farm Animal Clinical Centre located at the Hertfordshire campus.

RVC Press Release 20 June 2017

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