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Researchers at LMU University Hospital have discovered a new molecular switch that protects against cell death.

Programmed cell death protects the body against cancer and other diseases. A team of researchers led by Professor Alexander Bartelt from the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK) has decoded a new mechanism by which oxidative stress influences cell death.

The researchers hope this discovery will lead to novel approaches for targeting cancer cells and other diseases. Their findings were published in the journal Cell Death & Differentiation.

When the lipids in the plasma are attacked, it is referred to as ferroptosis. In a chain reaction, the lipid molecules that make up the membrane are destroyed and the cell literally dissolves.

"Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of cell death and we're searching for ways to control the process," says Bartelt. The team concentrated on the proteasome, which functions as a sort of recycling bin for the cell. Through the operations of the proteasome, old or damaged proteins are broken down and made available to the cell again.

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