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Published on: January 31, 2025
Autophagy-regulating small molecules and their therapeutic applications
Kyung-Hwa Baek1, Jihye Park, Injae Shin
1Center for Biofunctional Molecules, Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea.
Chemical Society Reviews
|February 2, 2012
Summary
Autophagy, a cellular self-eating process, is vital for homeostasis but its disruption links to diseases like cancer. Modulating autophagy with small molecules offers therapeutic potential for various conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process for degrading damaged proteins and organelles via lysosomes.
- This process is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and preventing disease.
- Dysregulation of autophagy is implicated in numerous human diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of autophagy.
- To discuss the role of autophagy in various human diseases.
- To explore autophagy regulators for research and therapeutic applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific articles and research papers.
- Synthesis of information on autophagy mechanisms, disease associations, and regulatory molecules.
- Analysis of current research on therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy.
Main Results:
- Autophagy plays a critical role in cellular health and disease pathogenesis.
- Specific small molecules can modulate autophagy, offering potential therapeutic avenues.
- Understanding autophagy is key to developing treatments for cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy modulation presents a promising strategy for treating a wide range of diseases.
- Further research into autophagy regulators is essential for advancing biological understanding and clinical applications.
- Targeting autophagy holds significant potential for future therapeutic interventions.
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