Autophagy pathway in macrophages

The autophagy pathway in macrophages is a fundamental cellular process involving the sequestration and degradation of cytoplasmic components, including damaged organelles and intracellular pathogens, within double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes [2, 8]. In macrophages, this pathway is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and orchestrating immune responses through mechanisms such as xenophagy, which directly eliminates bacteria and viruses, and LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), which facilitates the clearance of apoptotic cells and pathogens [5, 9, 12]. Autophagy also regulates macrophage polarization between pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes and influences the production of cytokines like IL-1β by modulating inflammasome activity [1, 7, 13]. Dysregulation of macrophage autophagy is implicated in a wide range of diseases, including cancer, where it can promote tumor growth by supporting immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages, and chronic inflammatory conditions like atherosclerosis and liver disease [2, 7, 9]. Consequently, the pathway is a significant therapeutic target, with drugs such as mTOR inhibitors (e.g., rapamycin) and AMPK activators (e.g., metformin) being investigated for their ability to modulate autophagic flux to treat these conditions [4, 10].

Other names

Macrophage autophagyXenophagy in macrophagesLC3-associated phagocytosis in macrophagesLAP in macrophagesMitophagy in macrophagesLipophagy in macrophages

Modulation of autophagic flux through mTOR inhibition, AMPK activation, or lysosomal inhibition.