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Abstract

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that is essential for survival, differentiation, development, and homeostasis. Autophagy principally serves an adaptive role to protect organisms against diverse pathologies, including infections, cancer, neurodegeneration, aging, and heart disease. However, in certain experimental disease settings, the self-cannibalistic or, paradoxically, even the prosurvival functions of autophagy may be deleterious. This Review summarizes recent advances in understanding the physiological functions of autophagy and its possible roles in the causation and prevention of human diseases.

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PubMed ID:: 18191218

PMC ID:: 2696814

DOI:: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.12.018

ScienceOpen disciplines: Chemistry

Keywords: Aging,metabolism,Animals,Autophagy,genetics,physiology,Cell Death,Cell Survival,Disease,etiology,Genomic Instability,Homeostasis,Humans,Lysosomes,ultrastructure,Oxidative Stress

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Chemistry

Keywords: Aging, metabolism, Animals, Autophagy, genetics, physiology, Cell Death, Cell Survival, Disease, etiology, Genomic Instability, Homeostasis, Humans, Lysosomes, ultrastructure, Oxidative Stress

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