Autophagy process

Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process in which cells degrade and recycle their own components through a lysosome-dependent pathway. This mechanism is essential for maintaining cellular health by removing unnecessary or dysfunctional organelles, misfolded proteins, and intracellular pathogens. There are three main types of autophagy—macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy—each differing in how cellular material is delivered to the lysosome for degradation. Autophagy plays critical roles in energy homeostasis during nutrient deprivation, quality control by preventing accumulation of damaged components, immune defense against infections, regulation of cell death pathways, and protection against aging-related damage. Dysregulation or deficiency in autophagic processes has been implicated in various diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders[1][2][3][4][6].

Other names

autophagocytosisself-eatingself-devouring