title: Autophagy and the immune function in aging.
abstract: Just when you thought that you had heard it all about autophagy-the conserved cellular process that mediates turnover of cellular constituents in the lysosomes - studies keep coming out highlighting new types of autophagy, new functions for autophagy or even new autophagy-independent roles for the proteins associated with this process. The field of immunology has been riding the autophagic wave since the beginning of its revival; first due to its role in the host defense against pathogens, and more recently through the better understanding of the unique characteristics and functions of different autophagic pathways in immune cells. Here, we describe some of these new functions that are tightening the connection between autophagy and acquired or innate immunity and their malfunctioning with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA. Electronic address: ana-maria.cuervo@einstein.yu.edu.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cuervo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Institute for Aging Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA. Electronic address: fernando.macian@einstein.yu.edu.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macian
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001343:Autophagy; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology