A current update of where we are and where we are going
Autophagy is a process used by cells to degrade unnecessary or non-functioning cellular components. It is a normal function in cellular homeostasis, but can also be initiated in stressful circumstances of e.g. nutrient starvation or infection.
The autophagy series of events involves formation of autophagosomes, vesicles that fuse with a lysosome, which contains the degradation components.
Several proteins have been identified as being involved in these processes, e.g. LC3, Beclin 1, p62, Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, Atg13, Atg16L, AMBRA.
Dr. Noboru Mizushima of the University of Tokyo describes the current state of autophagy research and future areas of research and drug discovery in this white paper.
View current Autophagy special promotion