08/18/2026
What happens when human cells lose the ability to clear out internal waste? In neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, cellular waste builds up, leading to critical system failures.
Biology professor Roberto Botelho is working to uncover why. His research focuses on an enzyme called PIKfyve, which is essential for lysosome function, the cell's waste disposal system. When PIKfyve is disrupted, cellular "garbage" builds up, a process linked to Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. His lab has also uncovered new insights into how PIKfyve affects the endoplasmic reticulum, with findings recently published in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Beyond this, Botelho's lab is studying phagocytosis, how immune cells engulf and clear harmful material, with implications for both infectious disease and cancer treatment.
Read more about how research at TMU is tackling major health challenges: https://bit.ly/4wzaLM0