Autophagy in the pathogenesis of disease.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18191218.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2007.12.018 and PMC identifier 2696814.
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Abstract
Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that is essential for survival, differentiation, development, and homeostasis. Autophagy principally serves an adaptive role to protect organisms against diverse pathologies, including infections, cancer, neurodegeneration, aging, and heart disease. However, in certain experimental disease settings, the self-cannibalistic or, paradoxically, even the prosurvival functions of autophagy may be deleterious. This Review summarizes recent advances in understanding the physiological functions of autophagy and its possible roles in the causation and prevention of human diseases.
Medical subject headings
- Autophagy
- Lysosomes