2018-06-07

New diet trend: autophagy and ageing

① Few would turn down the chance to live longer, and ideas range from starvation diets to blood transfusions from the young.

② A paper published in Nature this week looks at autophagy (Greek for "self-eating"), the process by which cells break down and recycle parts for re-use.

③ Researchers found that mice engineered to have higher levels of beclin-1, an autophagy-associated protein, lived about 10% longer than unmodified cousins.

④ They were healthier, too, suffering fewer cancers and less heart and kidney damage.

⑤ The finding joins mounting evidence that autophagy is important in hindering ageing, though the mechanism remains unclear.

⑥ (One theory is that it recycles worn-out cellular components whose operation generates highly reactive free radicals—chemicals that play havoc with all sorts of cellular processes.)

⑦ The protein in question might one day make a target for drug development.

⑧ However, as with all drugs, the treatment will be in the dose—too much autophagy is as bad as too little.

参考资料：

https://huanqiukexue.com/a/qianyan/shengwu__yixue/2015/1120/25791.html

▍生词好句

autophagy /ɔ:ˈtɒfədʒi/: n.（细胞的）自体吞噬

turn down: 拒绝

range from A to B: 从 A 到 B（内容很丰富、什么都有）

starvation diet: 饥饿疗法；饥饿式节食减肥

blood transfusion /ˌtransˈfjʊ:ʒ(ə)n/: 输血

look at: 探讨

engineered /ˌɛndʒɪˈnɪəd/: adj. 被基因工程改编的

beclin-1: 细胞分化、凋亡和自噬过程中起重要作用的多功能蛋白

autophagy-associated protein /ˈprəʊti:n/: 参与自噬的蛋白

unmodified /ʌnˈmɒdɪfʌɪd/: adj. 未被改编的；未被修改的

mounting /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/: adj. 越来越多的

join mounting evidence: 在逐渐增加的证据上又添了一笔

hinder ageing /ˈhɪndə/: 抗衰老

generate /ˈdʒɛnəreɪt/: vt. 制造；生成

free radical: 自由基；游离基

play havoc with: 对……有（不好的）影响

sth. in question: 正被讨论的……

make sth.: 成为……

in the dose /dəʊs/: 剂量问题

▍补充例句

1. range from A to B

Our courses range from fashion to philosophy, and from literature to business.

2. look at

This movie looks at some social issues.

3. mounting

① They faced mounting debts.

② There was mounting pressure on him to resign.

4. play havoc with

Rain has continued to play havoc with sporting events.

5. make

One day, you'll make a fabulous scientist.

6. in the dose

Every chemical has toxicity, but it's all in the dose.