20180812
最近，发表在英国《自然》杂志上的一项小鼠实验研究表明，一种对细胞自噬过程至关重要的蛋白质（beclin-1）发生突变后，会增加小鼠大脑和肌肉中的细胞自噬，可延长小鼠的健康期限和寿命。
自噬（autophagy）一词来源于希腊语的自我（auto-）和吃（-phagy），所以细胞自噬的意思就是“吃掉自己”。这一概念最早提出于20世纪60年代，但因当时研究这种现象困难重重，人们对其一直所知甚少。直到20世纪90年代早期，人们才了解了它的机制，并意识到它的重要性。此前的研究发现，自噬与蠕虫的衰老相关，而今，却是第一次将这种关系印证到了哺乳动物身上。
随着自噬研究的深入扩展，人们已认识到这不再是一种简单反应，许多生理现象的发生都与之有密切关系。同时，进行该实验的研究团队表示，这可能是哺乳动物增加细胞自噬、预防过早衰老、延长健康期限和寿命的一种有效机制。
New diet trend: autophagy and ageing
autophagy /ɔ:ˈtɒfədʒi/: n.（细胞的）自体吞噬
细胞自噬和变老的关系
① Few would turn down the chance to live longer, and ideas range from starvation diets to blood transfusions from the young.
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
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.
探讨了一些社会问题
② A paper published in Nature this week looks at autophagy (Greek for "self-eating"), the process by which cells break down分解 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.
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
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.
3. mounting
① They faced mounting debts.
② There was mounting pressure on him to resign.
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
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.)
4. play havoc with
Rain has continued to play havoc with sporting events.
play havoc with /ˈhavək/: 对……有（不好的）影响
⑦ The protein in question might one day make a target for drug development
5. make
One day, you'll make a fabulous scientist.
⑧ However, as with all drugs, the treatment will be in the dose—too much autophagy is as bad as too little.
6. in the dose
Every chemical has toxicity, but it's all in the dose.
有一个量的问题
how to turn down invitations with finesse and not feel guilty.
autophagy
self-eating自噬
sth in discussion
正在被讨论