Studies Conducted at Sun Yat-sen University on Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases Recently Reported (Enhanced Vegf Secretion and Blood-brain Barrier Disruption: Radiation-mediated Inhibition of Astrocyte Autophagy Via Pi3k-akt Pathway Activation).

A study conducted at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, has investigated the mechanisms underlying radiation-induced brain injury (RBI), a side effect of head and neck cancer treatments. The researchers found that radiation can inhibit cellular autophagy and promote the oversecretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by activating the PI3K-AKT pathway in astrocytes. This leads to disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is the recognized pathological basis of RBI. The study suggests that blocking the PI3K pathway could alleviate these effects and mitigate damage to the BBB in patients undergoing radiation treatment. [Extracted from the article]