title: Autophagy fights disease through cellular self-digestion.
abstract: Autophagy, or cellular self-digestion, is a cellular pathway involved in protein and organelle degradation, with an astonishing number of connections to human disease and physiology. For example, autophagic dysfunction is associated with cancer, neurodegeneration, microbial infection and ageing. Paradoxically, although autophagy is primarily a protective process for the cell, it can also play a role in cell death. Understanding autophagy may ultimately allow scientists and clinicians to harness this process for the purpose of improving human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizushima
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cuervo
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Klionsky
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death; D002470:Cell Survival; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000473:pathology