2025/05/08 by Sergio Attanasio · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Autophagy in Disease and Therapy #Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Disease #Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/1873-3468.70061
openalex publication_date 2025/05/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
Autophagy is a catabolic process by which cells maintain cellular homeostasis through the degradation of dysfunctional cytoplasmic components, such as toxic misfolded proteins and damaged organelles, within the lysosome. It is a multistep process that is tightly regulated by nutrient, energy, and stress-sensing mechanisms. Autophagy plays a pivotal role in various biological processes, including protein and organelle quality control, defense against pathogen infections, cell metabolism, and immune surveillance. As a result, autophagy dysfunction is linked to a variety of pathological conditions. The role of autophagy in cancer is complex and dynamic. Depending on the context, autophagy can have both tumor-suppressive and pro-tumorigenic effects. In contrast, its role is more clearly defined in protein conformational disorders, where autophagy serves as a mechanism to reduce toxic protein aggregation, thereby improving cellular homeostasis. Because autophagy-based therapies hold promising potential for the treatment of cancer and protein conformational disorders, this review will highlight the latest findings and advancements in these areas.