Columbia researchers have found that a rare type of lipid is a key driver of ferroptosis, a form of cell death discovered by Columbia professor Brent Stockwell.
Cell death is fundamental to life and, thus, healthy aging. In the realm of cellular biology, ferroptosis (a form of programmed cell death) has emerged not only as a focal point of research for its potential in eliminating cancer cells, but also its role in a plethora of other diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, eye diseases such as Retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, as well as ischemia, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, acute kidney injury and inflammation.
With the coveted Consolidator Grants totalling two million euros, the European Research Council (ERC) supports outstanding scientists whose work promises further top achievements. José Pedro Friedmann Angeli, Professor of Translational Cell Biology at Rudolf Virchow Centre - Centre for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg, now belongs to this group.