From the Guidelines
Autophagy is a normal cellular process
Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation process that plays a fundamental role in determining cell fate under various stress conditions 1. It is often considered a pro-survival mechanism, helping cells survive under stress conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, by recycling cellular components and providing energy and building blocks.
- Autophagy can remove damaged organelles and proteins, protecting cells from accumulating harmful materials that could trigger cell death.
- It is a critical player in cellular responses to stress, capable of promoting cell survival or triggering cell death, depending on the intensity and duration of the stress 1.
- Autophagy is involved in the degradation or turnover of macromolecules, ensuring tight regulation and maintaining cell viability 1.
- The relationship between autophagy and ferroptosis is complex and highly dependent on the specific context, with autophagy having both promoting and protective effects on ferroptotic cell death 1.
- Dysregulated autophagy-dependent ferroptosis has implications for a diverse range of pathological conditions 1.
From the Research
Definition and Role of Autophagy
- Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosomal degradation pathway active at basal levels in all cells 2
- It is a major intracellular pathway for the degradation and recycling of long-lived proteins and cytoplasmic organelles 3
- Autophagy plays a critical role in development and cell differentiation, immune function, organismal health, and lifespan 4
Autophagy in Normal Conditions
- Autophagy is involved in maintaining cell homeostasis, getting rid of damaged and/or old organelles and misfolded or aggregated proteins 2
- It is important in the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, and enables cells to survive stress from the external environment like nutrient deprivation 5
- Autophagy is triggered by a variety of stimuli, including nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and is regulated by immune- and hormonal factors 6
Autophagy in Disease
- Defective or dysregulated autophagy accelerates ageing and increases susceptibility to diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer 4
- Autophagic abnormalities have been considered the underlying reasons for many human diseases, including liver disease, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, neoplastic diseases, and infectious diseases 2
- Defective autophagy is the underlying cause of a number of pathological conditions, including vacuolar myopathies, neurodegenerative diseases, liver disease, and some forms of cancer 3