Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
FEBS J. 2020 Dec;287(23):5024-5026. doi: 10.1111/febs.15573. Epub 2020 Oct 22.
Autophagy is the main catabolic process by which cells recycle cytoplasmic components and superfluous or damaged organelles to preserve metabolic homeostasis under normal conditions and promote survival under stress. As a tightly regulated and dynamic process, autophagy has critical roles in development and cell differentiation, immune function, organismal health and lifespan. Accumulating findings suggest that defective or dysregulated autophagy accelerates ageing and increases susceptibility to diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, among others. This virtual issue of the FEBS Journal on Autophagy includes a collection of articles that present recent advances on the regulation of autophagy and provide a view of its complex roles in physiological and pathological contexts.
自噬是细胞在正常情况下回收细胞质成分和多余或受损细胞器以维持代谢平衡、在应激条件下促进生存的主要分解代谢过程。作为一个受到严格调控和动态变化的过程，自噬在发育和细胞分化、免疫功能、机体健康和寿命等方面发挥着关键作用。越来越多的研究结果表明，自噬功能缺陷或失调会加速衰老，并增加患神经退行性疾病和癌症等疾病的易感性。本期 FEBS 期刊自噬特刊收录了一系列文章，介绍了自噬调控的最新进展，并展示了其在生理和病理环境下的复杂作用。
