Nobel Prize to Japanese for discovery. The Nobel Prize was awarded for demonstrating the benefits of fasting. Intermittent fasting to activate autophagy

Autumn is harvest time, and Japanese molecular biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi received his well-deserved reward. On October 3, 2016, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research into the mechanisms of autophagy, which he has conducted since the 1990s. What exactly the scientist discovered and why it is so important for each of us is in the review.

Autophagy and self-criticism

But “decent” cells, which carefully monitor the order in their household and regularly get rid of trash, contribute to the rejuvenation and prolongation of the life of the whole organism.

Research on vegetable oil and baker's yeast

For his tests, the Japanese scientist used baker's yeast, a eukaryotic organism (whose cells contain a nucleus), the process of autophagy in which can be observed under a microscope. Through various experiments and gene modifications, Yoshinori Ohsumi identified proteins and genes that are involved in autophagy.

One of them, the TOR gene, regulates the launch of the autophagy process depending on the amount of energy for cells (the same adenosine triphosphate that we wrote about yesterday). While there is a lot of energy, TOR works actively and keeps cells from self-criticism. As soon as the body's reserves of strength are depleted, the protein turns off and passes the control panel to the APG group proteins, which trigger autophagy.

Autophagy promotes rejuvenation and slows down aging. It follows that stimulating this process within reasonable limits is the key to longevity. One of the simplest ways to control autophagy is to reduce the amount of calories you consume (slight fasting), which blocks the TOR signaling pathway.

Expert commentary

Autophagy is one of the fundamental processes of maintaining homeostasis, which is realized at the cellular level. In this way, the cell makes sure that each of its components works to its fullest, and if something goes wrong, it is put under the knife and melted down. For example, let's take mitochondria - there are hundreds of them in every cell, and not all of them function equally efficiently. The cell constantly tests its “small energy stations,” and if the efficiency of one of them drops, such a mitochondria will quickly be “disassembled” into its component elements, that is, simply digested. From the remaining “building materials” they will build a new “station” that will work efficiently. This is a kind of natural selection at the level of cellular organelles - whoever does not work will be eaten. As a result, the cell is constantly working to optimize all processes.

Too intense autophagy can lead to apoptosis - programmed cell death: if a cell cannot renew itself, it will be eaten by neighboring cells. And there is nothing wrong with that - on the contrary! Effective cell self-renewal is the key to health and longevity.

Stimulation of autophagy is one of the ways of therapeutic effects on the body. Autophagy is stimulated by metformin, a drug that reduces insulin resistance and is therefore indispensable in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. At the same time, it helps other body systems, in particular, reducing the likelihood of malignant cell transformation.

Interestingly, molecular oncologists are now testing two types of anticancer drugs: autophagy stimulators and autophagy inhibitors (blockers). A high level of autophagy is necessary to prevent the development of tumors, but if cancer has already developed, autophagy must be suppressed. Tumor cells have learned to use this important cell renewal process to develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs.

P.S. The video at the beginning of the article is a 2013 video produced by the University of Michigan. On the screen is a creative perception of the autophagy process, which was created by biologists, illustrators, choreographers, dancers and composers.

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption Intense training may boost autophagy

This little-studied process occurring in our body has recently become the focus of attention. There is a lot of hope for autophagy: it is believed to actively promote weight loss, health, and longer life.

Autophagy is a natural regeneration process that occurs at the cellular level, reducing the likelihood of certain diseases and prolonging life.

In 2016, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery and research into the mechanisms of autophagy. These studies have led to a better understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia.

• Why the Nobel Prize in Medicine was given: expert commentary
• Scientists: imitation fasting helps in the fight against diabetes
• Five unexpected factors that affect your weight

Since then, pharmaceutical companies and scientists have been trying to develop drugs that could stimulate this process, and experts in the field of nutrition and lifestyle are also excited about the idea and say that this process can be stimulated naturally - by fasting, intense exercise and restriction. carbohydrates.

What do scientists say?

"Certainly, the results from the mouse experiments show that this is the case," says David Rubinstein, professor of molecular neurogenetics at the University of Cambridge and the British Dementia Research Institute.

“There have been studies where this process has been triggered using genetic tools, drugs or fasting, and in these cases the animals lived longer, were healthier overall,” he says.

However, it is not yet clear how effective these techniques are in humans.

"For example, in mice, you can see the effect in the brain after 24 hours of fasting, and in some other organs, such as the liver, much faster. And while we know that fasting is beneficial, we don't know exactly how long people need to fast to achieve positive results,” notes Dr. Rubinstein.

However, according to the researcher, fasting does stimulate autophagy, and the benefits for the body have been proven in other studies.

What is autophagy?

• The word "autophagy" comes from the Greek "auto" ("self") and "fagin" ("to eat")
• This is the process by which cells break down and recycle their components
• It provides an energy source and building blocks for cell renewal
• After an infection enters the body, bacteria and viruses can be destroyed through autophagy
• Cells use autophagy to get rid of damaged proteins and organelles and thus combat the negative effects of aging.

The process of autophagy was discovered in the 60s of the twentieth century, but its importance was appreciated only in the 90s, after the publication of Yoshinori Ohsumi's research.

"We found that it protects against diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and some forms of dementia," says David Rubinstein

“This process also appears to help fight infection and inflammation,” adds Professor Rubinstein.

New health textbooks claim that the process can be triggered by changes in diet and behavior - such as intermittent fasting or the 5:2 diet.

Muscle mass

One of the new books, Glow 15, by self-proclaimed nutritionist Naomi Whittell, suggests a 15-day program that involves fasting for 16 hours three times a week.

The program also involves reducing protein intake on certain days, consuming carbohydrates in the afternoon, and sessions of extremely intense exercise.

Naomi Whittell tested her basic program on volunteers at Jacksonville University in Florida and says she saw some positive results.

"Some people have lost weight, losing up to 3 kilograms in 15 days. Others have normalized blood pressure, increased muscle mass, and partially smoothed out wrinkles," she says.

“If you live an unhealthy lifestyle, eat something all the time or eat all sorts of crap, you will not have the opportunity to start this process,” he notes.

Nerve cells

Of course, prolonged or frequent fasting can be harmful to your health, and if you are considering changing your diet or lifestyle, you should consult your doctor.

But Professor Rubinstein is convinced that in the future it will be possible to effectively fight diseases using autophagy.

Experiments in his laboratory discovered that proteins formed clumps in the nerve cells of people suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

"We found that if you turn on autophagy, you can quickly remove these proteins and protect the body from neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease and some types of dementia," the scientist said.

On October 3, 2016, in Stockholm, the Nobel Committee announced the winner of the prize in the category of physiology and medicine. It turned out to be Yoshinori Osumi, a Japanese microbiologist who described in detail the mechanism of autophagy in cells of living organisms. Not to say that this was stunning know-how, because this process was discovered back in the 60s. XX century. However, the talented professor managed to reveal a new side to him, and one of the most prestigious international awards ended up in his hands.

Few scientific achievements for which the Nobel Prize is awarded each year are available to the general public. For the most part, they are interesting only to a narrow circle of knowledgeable and enlightened people. However, the discovery of the Japanese scientist has since become incredibly popular.

Today, not only nutritionists, doctors and biologists talk about it, but also those ordinary citizens who lead a healthy lifestyle, regularly cleanse the body, try to lose weight, or are adherents of a healthy fasting system. It turns out that the mechanisms of cellular autophagy play an important role in the life of not only people, but also all living beings.

About a talented scientist

Yoshinori Ohsumi (born 1945) is a Japanese scientist, microbiologist, professor, doctor of science, teacher at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, member of the European Organization of Molecular Biology.

Japanese scientist, molecular biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi

Since the 80s. XX century, studied exclusively the process of autophagy. It was discovered long before him, back in the 60s, but no one even suspected its role in the body and its importance for human life. And only Yoshinori Osumi managed to find out in the early 90s how significant it is for every living creature on the planet.

Long before the Nobel Prize, the Japanese microbiologist was repeatedly awarded for his discovery. Here are some of the most significant awards:

• 2008 - Asahi Prize, “For precise molecular studies of autophagy and the intracellular destruction system.”
• 2015 - Rosenstiel Prize, "In recognition of pioneering discoveries of the molecular and biological functions of autophagy."
• 2016 - Paul Janssen Prize, “For the discovery of the molecular basis of autophagy as a universal process of self-digestion of cells to obtain life-saving energy during starvation.”
• 2016 - Nobel Prize, “For the discovery of the mechanisms of autophagy.”
• 2017 - Medical Breakthrough Award, "For research into autophagy and the recycling system that cells use to obtain nutrients from their own non-essential or damaged components."

Only one of the formulations of the above awards mentions. So why does everyone think that it was for him that Yoshinori Ohsumi was given the Nobel Prize in 2016? To understand this issue, you need to understand the essence of the discovery.

This is interesting. In 1974, Christian de Duve, the scientist who discovered lysosomes, received the Nobel Prize. And shortly before this, he introduced the term “autophagy.”

Autophagy

The term goes back to the ancient Greek language and is translated from it as “self-eating.” It means the process of cells eliminating their own particles that turn out to be harmful, superfluous, unnecessary. As already mentioned, back in the 60s, scientists made the discovery that it starts from time to time, but why, when exactly, for what purpose and what effect this has on the functioning of the body as a whole, no one has figured out since then . And only 20 years later, Yoshinori Osumi began to study it closely.

The material for the study was yeast. However, everything that the Nobel Prize winner found out during his scientific research applies to all living cells, including those of the human body. And these are the discoveries he made.

During life, under the influence of various factors (diet, living conditions, climate, bad habits), garbage accumulates in the body:

• toxins;
• defective proteins;
• various harmful substances;
• dead particles;
• infections, bacteria, viruses;
• pathological, damaged tissue.

It turns out that nature has endowed cells with the ability to get rid of all this on their own. Schematically and simplifiedly, without going into complex biological terminology, the process of autophagy looks like this:

State of stress → Cells recognize foreign particles in their composition → Attack them → Enclose them in autophagosomes (similar to how we store garbage in bags) → Move them to lysosomes (containers) → They destroy and digest them → The resulting processing products are used to obtain necessary energy, own rejuvenation and regeneration, internal nutrition

The result exceeds all expectations: not only are the cells cleaned of debris, which includes infections and viruses that are dangerous to health, but they are also renewed. Moreover, no external resources are required for this.

As Yoshinori Ohsumi found out, if autophagy processes occur regularly and without failure in the human body, this guarantees:

• high life expectancy;
• slowing down the aging process;
• strong immunity, repelling attacks of any, even the most dangerous bacteria and viruses;
• excellent health;
• physical activity and high intellectual abilities;
• uninterrupted operation of all organs and systems.

And the most important thing that the Nobel laureate managed to find out is that disturbances in the process of autophagy lead to such severe pathologies as cancer, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, diabetes and many others that modern medicine cannot cope with. It turns out that if cells regularly engage in self-food, the risk of all these diseases is reduced to zero.

Actually, for the fact that the Japanese scientist revealed to the world the true cause of such serious pathologies (impaired autophagy) and at the same time lifted the curtain on how to treat them (establish this mechanism), he received the Nobel Prize. It remains to be seen, what does fasting have to do with it?

Autophagy and starvation

With the help of autophagy, you can prolong life and recover from the most severe diseases. This does not happen automatically because it starts extremely rarely. Yoshinori Ohsumi found that cells begin to digest their pathogenic parts only under conditions of severe stress. And one of the ways to create it is fasting.

When cells receive nutrition from the outside (in the process of digesting foods eaten by a person), there is no point in them doing additional work - recognizing their damaged elements and disposing of them. But, as soon as they do not receive any external support for a long time, they begin to look for a way out of the current situation. And the only salvation is those very extra particles that can be processed and consumed so as not to die.

It turns out that while working on autophagy, the Japanese scientist, unexpectedly for his research, also proved the benefits of fasting. It is this that starts this process and, accordingly, guarantees both a long life and relief from almost all diseases.

However, it is worth immediately making a reservation that in his studies Yoshinori Ohsumi describes in detail exclusively the process of autophagy: how it starts, how it proceeds, what affects it, what significance it has for human health and life, and other nuances. He does not offer his own fasting system, as many, like, or other researchers believe. He only mentioned that it is abstinence from food that creates stress conditions under which cells begin to cleanse themselves.

Therefore, it cannot be argued that Yoshinori Ohsumi was given the Nobel Prize precisely for fasting. No, he received it for describing the mechanisms of autophagy. But these two concepts are closely interrelated, and the first is much closer to the common man - this is where this discrepancy comes from.

The significance of Yoshinori Ohsumi's discovery

In connection with the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, interest in autophagy processes has increased several times. Almost all modern studies and works on fasting refer to the discovery of Yoshinori Ohsumi, justifying its incredible benefits. But here we need to clarify some points.

You can often hear that Yoshinori Ohsumi received the Nobel Prize for one-day fasting. On the one hand, we found that this is an indirectly erroneous statement. On the other hand, there is a rational grain in this formulation, and it is to this that all those who plan to use the discovery of the Japanese scientist for their own purposes should pay attention.

How can it be used?

It seems that the scheme is as simple as possible: we start the autophagy process using therapeutic fasting - and we live without disease and old age for many, many years. The most active ones have already begun to put all this into practice: they have taken as a basis the methods of 40-day abstinence from food (the Dzhigurda, Suvorin systems) and are fasting. But it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to go all the way to the end and achieve the desired results. What's the catch?

Long-term fasting, proposed by most existing methods (Voitovich, Nikolaev, Lavrova, Shchennikov), is not supported by official medicine. Their benefits are not only not scientifically proven, but are also actively refuted. The risk of serious organ dysfunction and even death is too high to decide on such a dubious recovery. No one has ever been given a Nobel Prize for this.

But short-term periods from 12 hours to 3 days (no more!) are enough to launch the full cycle of the autophagy process and achieve the desired results.

Unfortunately, there is not yet any clear concept or patented method of therapeutic fasting that would be based specifically on the discovery of Yoshinori Ohsumi. What is the optimal period of abstinence, how often to practice it, how much water you can drink, what is allowed and what is prohibited - all these questions still remain open and are decided by each individual.

Those who regularly practice fasting are advised to take it, since it is easier to tolerate, does not cause a strong deterioration in well-being, and fits well within the framework of a weekend.

Who is it suitable for?

Autophagy is essential for the life and health of every person. We all breathe polluted air, eat preservatives and dyes, and accumulate veritable garbage dumps. The cells themselves can cope with them, but they need help with this. Therefore, absolutely everyone needs to do short-term fasting from time to time.

But they will be especially useful for those who:

• suffers from obesity and excess weight (according to research, it is fat cells that accumulate the maximum amount of harmful substances);
• falls into a risk group for oncology (due to a hereditary factor);
• is of advanced age (after 50 years, this should be done regularly to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s);
• plans to conceive a baby soon (to avoid the risk of cerebral palsy).

Despite the fact that Yoshinori Ohsumi did not receive the Nobel Prize for, as many mistakenly believe, the autophagy mechanisms he described are closely related to it. Its discovery gives hope to absolutely all people for curing diseases that modern medicine is still powerless to treat. Some seriously believe that with the correct implementation of this achievement, it is quite possible to slow down the aging process and significantly increase life expectancy.

Although everyone can use this healing method for free. And also save on groceries

Photo: REUTERS

Change text size: A A

In October, the most prestigious scientific prize on the planet in physiology and medicine was received by Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi. For autophagy.

The first thought was - why exactly is he given such an honor? Surely the secret rulers of the world, the Rockefellers, got involved. After all, Osumi once worked at their Rockefeller University in New York. And he became the 25th laureate associated with this medical institution. Prestige! For comparison: citizens of Russia and the USSR have only 20 “nobels” in their accounts. Including pre-revolutionary doctors Mechnikov and Pavlov, writer Pasternak, politicians Gorbachev and Sakharov, physicist Alferov...

HEALING SELF-FOOD

The term “autophagy” (Greek autos - “self” and phagos - “devouring”) was invented and introduced into circulation by the Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve, also a future Nobel laureate, who worked at ... Rockefeller University. Back in 1963, Osumi had just become a student at Tokyo University that year. The meaning of autophagy according to de Duve: the cell, it turns out, is engaged in self-devouring, self-criticism of all the “garbage” that has accumulated in it - waste products, as well as bacteria, viruses and other harmful substances that have come from outside. There is cleaning and protection of the cell and the entire body. So everything was invented before Osumi.

I’m reading the October Nobel Committee’s issue of the newly crowned lucky laureate. “We now know that autophagy controls critical physiological processes when it is necessary to destroy and recycle cell components. Autophagy can quickly produce the fuel necessary for the cellular response to HUNGER (emphasis mine - E.Ch.) and other types of stress... eliminate the invasion of intracellular bacteria and viruses, promote embryo development and cell differentiation. Cells also use autophagy to eliminate damaged proteins and organelles, which is critical for counteracting the negative effects of aging.”

Just think, they discovered America! Yes, I personally knew all this back in the 70s of the last century. At that time, therapeutic fasting was fashionable in the USSR. A typewritten book by American naturopath Paul Bragg, “The Miracle of Fasting,” was circulating around the country. "Samizdat" hit! Old Bragg called this method the most significant discovery of modern mankind. Cooler than jet planes, television, the hydrogen bomb... They say it is mentioned in the Bible 74 times. Christ himself starved for forty days! “With the help of therapeutic fasting, you can regenerate yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. By fasting with the help of science, a person pushes back the threat of premature aging and is able to regain vanishing youth. The body will be cleansed of accumulated toxins and wastes that give us diseases and premature aging.”

40 days on one water!

Okay, the optimist Bragg was self-taught, he could make up a gag. But back in 1973, the book of Doctor of Medical Sciences Yuri Nikolaev “Fasting for Health” was published in the USSR. Circulation: 200 thousand copies. It was translated in Japan, Bulgaria, and other countries, and there were reprints in its homeland.

This is a kind of scientific encyclopedia of therapeutic fasting from ancient times to the end of the 20th century. Not only Christ and representatives of other religions refused food for the sake of spiritual and physical recovery. In the writings and instructions of scientists of ancient Egypt, Babylon, Judea, India, Persia, Scandinavia, China, Tibet, Greece and Rome there were many hygienic tips and descriptions of non-medicinal treatment. And in the first place – hunger!

The same ancient Egyptians, “the healthiest of mortals,” according to the historian Herodotus, fasted three days a month, cleansing their stomachs with emetics and enemas. The famous ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras systematically kept a strict fast for 40 days on water alone. And he demanded the same from his students. The greatest Hellenic sage lived for more than 80 years. Before our era. Great result!

The philosophers Socrates and Plato also regularly fasted for 10 days in order to achieve the highest degree of mental development. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, prescribed fasting for the sick. There are many similar examples of bygone days in Nikolaev’s book. Byron, Voltaire, Linnaeus, Milton, Montaigne, Newton, Rousseau, Leo Tolstoy, Schiller, Shaw... The story of the rich Venetian Ludwig Cornaro (1465-1566) is especially impressive. In his youth, he indulged in all sorts of excesses, gluttony, and began to get sick. On the advice of the doctor, I had to fast regularly. At first it was agony. But a year later, Cornaro was healed of all ailments, and he himself began to write treatises on proper nutrition and fasting. Lived a hundred years!

OPERATION WITHOUT A KNIFE!

Nikolaev himself was born into a family of strict vegetarians. My parents were friends with Leo Tolstoy. Yura also visited Yasnaya Polyana. What evidence remains in the memoirs of Tolstoy’s wife. His father also corresponded with the famous American novelist Upton Sinclair. In 1911 he published the book “Treatment by Hunger”, based on his own experience. She became popular all over the world. By the way, Sinclair lived to be 90 years old.

This book determined the fate of Yuri Sergeevich himself. He became a doctor. And even before the war, he risked starving...schizophrenics. Happened. Although official medicine had a negative attitude towards this method. But Nikolaev was lucky. He saved Lev Bulganin, the son of Stalin's Deputy Prime Minister and member of the Politburo, from alcoholism. The grateful father gave instructions to officially check the therapeutic fasting. At the Institute of Psychiatry of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. Here Nikolaev studied the effect of hunger on various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, for ten years. The scientist carefully called his method fasting-dietary therapy (RDT). So as not to frighten official science and people with the terrible word “hunger”. Everyone still remembered the Leningrad blockade, and in general... In 1960, he defended his doctoral dissertation on this topic. Although the benefactor Bulganin had by that time been overthrown by Khrushchev and sent into political oblivion.

The method became increasingly popular, and RDT departments were opened in Soviet hospitals. In Moscow, it was supervised by Professor Nikolaev himself. About 3,000 patients with hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, diabetes, arthrosis, arthritis, ulcers, gastritis, colitis, asthma, obesity, etc. passed through it. Some had to fast under strict medical supervision for 25-33 days. The results were positive.

Nikolaev himself figuratively called this healing, surprising at first glance, “an operation without a knife.” Indeed, during therapeutic fasting, first of all, weakened, obsolete, unusable, altered tissues, wastes, toxins, which are ballast for the body and the cause of many different diseases, are disposed of, as well as tumors, edema, adhesions, etc., present in the body. The number of sclerotic plaques decreases. This process in medicine is called “autolysis” (literally meaning “self-digestion”).

As you can see, Nikolaev uses a term similar to the currently fashionable “autophagy”. All the same “self-criticism” of cells.

This destructive process of “self-criticism,” Nikolaev argued, is always interconnected with a creative, rejuvenating one. For fasting itself is a powerful stressor that mobilizes the body’s defense reactions and is a stimulus for the subsequent acceleration of the processes of recovery and self-renewal.

However, despite extensive scientific experiments and extensive experience in healing the sick, the professor understood that not all the secrets of therapeutic fasting had been discovered. “The next stage is to study the process of dosed fasting treatment at the molecular level,” he wrote. “To penetrate into the life of a cell, to observe how nature manages the body, to learn to imitate it, to learn to control one’s body.”

The doctor of medical sciences died in 1998. He was 93.

IS THE PRIZE NOT DIVIDED BY THREE?

Three scientists undertook to fulfill the Soviet doctor’s behest in the 90s. American Daniel Klenski and Japanese Noboru Mitsushima, Yoshinori Osumi. They studied in detail the mechanism of autophagy at the cellular level. Using baker's yeast as an example. Holding them - attention! - on a starvation diet. (I won’t bother readers with scientific terms. If anyone is interested, see the press release of the Nobel Committee, everything is described and shown there.) And they even discovered the genes responsible for the process of “self-eating.” Humans also have similar genes. Klensky writes: “Autophagy may have evolved as a response to nutrient deficiency. As you know, under starvation conditions the body begins to use internal reserves. First, fat cells are used, and lastly, muscle cells; their components are broken down and included in metabolic processes important for maintaining the life of the organism. Cells do the same in the absence of nutrients, decomposing some of their components into parts in the name of self-preservation. Autophagosomes work constantly, regardless of whether the cell is starving or not. But a lack of nutrients, oxygen or growth factors stimulates the process of autophagosome assembly.”

Scientific experts predicted back in 2012-13 that all of these trio would receive the Nobel Prize for their research into the rejuvenating “self-eating” of cells. The prize has already been divided into three more than once! But the turn came only this year. And for some reason the Nobel Committee chose only Osumi.

However, the main thing here is different.

After the death of Professor Nikolaev, therapeutic fasting in our country again became “a fad of crazy fans of a healthy lifestyle.” On a par with treatment with a biofield, urine, manure, clay... A kind of medicine “from the evil one,” despite the fasts of Christ. Other healing and rejuvenating methods are now in fashion. Expensive. A type of stem cells. But hunger will not bring big profits.

The Nobel Prize gave its authority to this ancient method, essentially recognizing it as scientific. The Nobel Committee emphasizes that, in theory, it is disturbances in the process of autophagy that lead to Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and other serious diseases. “The development of drugs that can target autophagy is ongoing.” Wonderful! You can eat and drink from your belly, and then take an autophagic pill and you’re healthy again!

But by the time these drugs are invented and tested, a lot of water will leak away. Isn’t it better to try a free method that has been tested for centuries for prevention?

HOW TO KEEP A POST

Of course, very carefully. Along with the news of the Nobel Prize for “self-criticism,” the tragic news of the death of a 13-year-old Indian girl spread around the world. She spent 68 days on boiled water alone. Not for the sake of improving health, but so that my parents’ jewelry business would take off. This is what the guru advised them to do. However, some of our girls, by starvation and strict diets, bring themselves to mortal exhaustion for the sake of their figure.

Yuri Nikolaev, as a true doctor, was more careful. Acted on the principle “Do no harm!” Therapeutic fasting for serious illnesses is only in special clinics, under the strict supervision of doctors. Up to 33 days. At home, for prevention, I advised spending 24-42 hours a week on water alone. Having previously taken a laxative, cleansing the body with enemas. The doctor himself had 2-3 fasting days a month. However, he began to fast whenever he felt ill or had a cold, in order to quickly get rid of viruses and toxins. Nikolaev allowed maximum fasting without a doctor for up to seven days. Having studied in advance the method of entering and exiting hunger, using enemas, showers, baths, walking, and other physical exercises. He emphasized that it is especially useful to fast when the body is still healthy and full of strength, in order to protect it from disease.

Yuri Nikolaev’s book “Fasting for Health” with a detailed description of the RDT method can be downloaded on the Internet. So are Bragg's books.

The Nobel Committee said in a statement that Ohsumi "discovered and elucidated the mechanisms underlying autophagy, the fundamental process of destruction and recycling of cellular components." The word "autophagy" comes from two Greek words - "auto", meaning "self", and "phagein", meaning "to eat". Thus, it literally means “self-eating” (loosely translated “self-eating”).

Autophagy has been known for more than 50 years, but its fundamental importance for physiology and medicine was only recognized after Ohsumi's research in the 1990s. It was thanks to these works that he received the Nobel Prize.

A general understanding of autophagy emerged in the 1960s, when researchers first observed how cells destroy their own contents by enclosing them in membranes. During this process, vesicle-like sacs of formation are formed, which are then transported to a recycling compartment in the cell called the lysosome for subsequent destruction.

An organelle (a component of a cell), the autophagosome, absorbs cell components and then gives them to be “eaten” by the lysosome, in which they are destroyed.

But due to a lack of information, it was difficult to study the features of this phenomenon. Osumi conducted a series of brilliant experiments in the early 1990s. In particular, the scientist used baker's yeast to identify genes that determine the course of the autophagy process. The researcher then began to elucidate the mechanisms underlying "self-eating" in yeast and showed that similar complex mechanisms are used in human cells.

Osumi's discovery led to a new paradigm in scientists' understanding of how cells process their contents. His discovery helped pave the way for understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as adaptation to starvation.

Mutations in genes that control the process of autophagy can cause diseases. In addition, the process of autophagy is an important component of oncological and neurological diseases.

Let's tell you a little about the history, without which the discovery itself would not have happened. In the mid-1950s, scientists identified a new specialized cell "compartment" - an organelle containing enzymes that process proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The organelle was called a lysosome and its functions were determined (a workstation for the destruction of cellular components).

By the way, the Belgian scientist Christian de Duve was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 for the discovery of lysosomes.

The term "autophagy" was first proposed in 1963 by the Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve, who together with his colleagues received the Nobel in Medicine in 1974.

New observations in the 1960s showed that large numbers of cellular components and even entire organelles could sometimes be found inside lysosomes.

It turns out that cells have a strategy for delivering large “cargos” to lysosomes. Further biochemical and microscopic studies revealed a new type of vesicle that transports such cellular cargo into lysosomes for subsequent destruction. Christian de Duve coined the term autophagy, “self-eating,” to describe this process. The new type of vesicles was called autolysosomes (or autophagosomes).

During the 1970s and 1980s, researchers focused on explaining another system used to destroy proteins, the proteasome. And as part of this theme, Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Gershko, and Irwin Rose were awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the discovery the role of ubiquitin in the cellular protein degradation system in the proteasome." Proteasomes effectively destroy proteins “one at a time,” but this mechanism does not explain how cells get rid of large protein complexes and “worn out” organelles.

The Japanese scientist Ohsumi was actively involved in various studies, but when he launched his own laboratory in 1998, he focused on studying the destruction of proteins in the yeast vacuole, an organelle whose functions are performed by the lysosome in human cells. Yeast cells are relatively easy to study and are therefore often used as a model for human cells. They are particularly useful for identifying genes that play important roles in complex cellular processes.

But Osumi faced a serious problem - yeast cells are small and their internal structure is not so easy to discern under a microscope. The scientist even doubted whether autophagy occurs in this case. The researcher reasoned that if he could stop the process of destroying material in the vacuole, then autophagy was present - then autolysosomes should accumulate inside the vacuole and become visible under the microscope.

The scientist cultivated mutated yeast lacking vacuolar degradation and simultaneously stimulated autophagy in them, causing the cells to starve. And the results were amazing. Within a few hours, the vacuoles were filled with small vesicles that had not yet been destroyed. The vesicles were autolysosomes, and the scientist’s experiment proved that autophagy exists in yeast cells. But more importantly, the scientist now has a way to identify and characterize the key genes involved in this process. This groundbreaking study was published more than 20 years ago in 1992.

Osumi later used his modified strains of yeast, in which autolysosomes accumulated during fasting. This accumulation should not occur if the genes responsible for autophagy were inactivated. Ohsumi treated yeast cells with a chemical that selectively introduced mutations in many genes, and he then stimulated autophagy. His strategy worked.

Ohsumi identified the first genes required for autophagy. And in subsequent experiments, scientists functionally characterized the proteins encoded by these genes. Research results have shown that autophagy is controlled by a cascade of proteins and protein complexes, each of which regulates individual stages, such as the nucleation or formation of autolysosomes.

Ohsumi studied thousands of mutant yeast strains and identified 15 genes that are responsible for the autophagy mechanism.

Having determined the mechanism of autophagy in yeast, one question still remains unresolved: is there a corresponding mechanism to control this process in other organisms? It soon became clear that almost identical processes occur in human cells. Scientists now have access to the tools they need to study the importance of autophagy in the human body.

And thanks to Ohsumi and his followers, the world today knows that autophagy controls important physiological functions in which cellular components must be recycled or destroyed.

Autophagy can quickly provide fuel and building blocks for the renewal of cellular components. Therefore, the process is important for the cellular response to starvation and other types of stress. Additionally, during infection, autophagy helps stop .

Autophagy also contributes to embryonic development and cell differentiation. Cells also use autophagy to eliminate damaged proteins and organelles—a “quality control” mechanism that is critical to combating the negative effects of aging.

Autophagy is associated with such physiological processes as the development of the human embryo and cell differentiation, and various stressful situations in the body. Autophagy occurs in neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and various infections.

By the way, disruption of autophagy processes has also been associated with Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and other diseases that usually appear in old age.

Mutations of genes important for autophagy can be caused by a genetic disease, and disruption of autophagy mechanisms is also associated with oncology. Today, numerous studies are underway to develop drugs designed to stimulate autophagy in various diseases.

Let us remind you that today, October 3, Nobel Week began in Stockholm. According to tradition, its beginning was marked.