title: Autophagy in renal diseases.
abstract: Autophagy is the cell biology process in which cytoplasmic components are degraded in lysosomes to maintain cellular homeostasis and energy production. In the healthy kidney, autophagy plays an important role in the homeostasis and viability of renal cells such as podocytes and tubular epithelial cells and of immune cells. Recently, evidence is mounting that (dys)regulation of autophagy is implicated in the pathogenesis of various renal diseases, and might be an attractive target for new renoprotective therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of autophagy in kidney physiology and kidney diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. stephanie.derechter@uzleuven.be.|Laboratory of Paediatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. stephanie.derechter@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Rechter
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Abdominal Transplantation, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Decuypere
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Paediatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Paediatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Translational Metabolic Laboratory and Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lambertus P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Signalling, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Humbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Smedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Laboratory of Paediatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levtchenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Laboratory of Paediatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Djalila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mekahli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D015398:Signal Transduction; D064804:Urological Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D064804:Urological Agents
keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cystinosis; Diabetic nephropathy; Fibrosis; Glomerulosclerosis; Ischemia reperfusion injury; Polycystic kidney disease