Autophagy is a vital cellular process through which damaged or misfolded proteins are degraded by organelles and recycled to maintain cellular homeostasis.
Understanding the relationship between autophagy and cellular aging, and its role in age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, is of great importance. Moreover, excessive autophagy has significant implications in cancer biology, as it can contribute to drug resistance in tumor cells.
Autophagy also plays a role in the pathology of other diseases such as cardiac and cerebral ischemia, immune system disorders, and more. These associations have opened new avenues for researchers to investigate the precise molecular mechanisms underlying various diseases.
One of the main goals of the center is to study the role of autophagy in different diseases by developing collaborative research projects with experts from both basic and clinical sciences.
The Autophagy Research Center was established to address the growing national and global need for multidisciplinary research in this field. The center aims to foster collaboration among different branches of medical, basic, and engineering sciences to advance problem-oriented fundamental and applied research.
By utilizing the expertise of committed and capable researchers, the center strives to improve public health, enhance medical care, and contribute to scientific progress nationally and internationally, particularly in common diseases related to autophagy.
The center is dedicated to recruiting and training talented and research-oriented students, while organizing and supporting the scientific activities of students, researchers, and faculty members to address societal needs and unresolved scientific questions.
In addition to publishing high-quality scientific papers, the center is determined to expand its role in technology development — including drug discovery, patent registration, and innovation in autophagy-related fields — in order to contribute to scientific advancement, job creation, and national economic growth.
Through the integration of basic and clinical research findings, the Autophagy Research Center aims to become a successful model for applied research in Iran.
Establishing collaborations with other scientific and research centers and attracting external funding are among the center’s strategic goals toward becoming a leading international research hub in the Middle East.
The center also actively participates in organizing scientific events and symposia and seeks to build effective national and international collaborations in the field of autophagy, playing a pivotal role in promoting knowledge-based decision-making in medicine, administration, and policymaking.
Identification of key proteins involved in the regulation of autophagy and unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathways
Investigation of how autophagy and UPR signaling function in normal physiology and in the prevention or progression of diseases such as cancer, infectious and inflammatory disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases
Genetic evaluations related to autophagy and UPR signaling pathways in various diseases
Examination of the therapeutic potential of different pharmacological compounds targeting autophagy and UPR signaling pathways
Bioinformatics studies on proteins involved in autophagy and UPR signaling pathways
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