Thus, I find it fascinating that this very important cellular mechanism can be triggered by certain kinds of interventions, such as a temporary reduction in nutrients (as when we are exercising or fasting)—and the drug rapamycin. (The Nobel Committee shares this fascination, having awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his work in elucidating the genetic regulation of autophagy.)
