Department of Medical Genetics, and Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Nat Chem Biol. 2011 Jan;7(1):9-17. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.500.
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for protein degradation that is critical for the maintenance of homeostasis in man. Autophagy has unexpected pleiotropic functions that favor survival of the cell, including nutrient supply under starvation, cleaning of the cellular interior, defense against infection and antigen presentation. Moreover, defective autophagy is associated with a diverse range of disease states, including neurodegeneration, cancer and Crohn's disease. Here we discuss the roles of mammalian autophagy in health and disease and highlight recent advances in pharmacological manipulation of autophagic pathways as a therapeutic strategy for a variety of pathological conditions.
自噬是一种进化上保守的蛋白质降解机制，对维持人体的内环境稳定至关重要。自噬具有意想不到的多效性功能，有利于细胞的存活，包括饥饿时提供营养物质、清理细胞内部、抵御感染和抗原呈递。此外，自噬缺陷与多种疾病状态有关，包括神经退行性疾病、癌症和克罗恩病。本文讨论了哺乳动物自噬在健康和疾病中的作用，并强调了自噬途径的药理学干预作为多种病理状况的治疗策略的最新进展。
