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Assessing Lysosomal Alkalinization in the Intestine of Live Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: April 13, 2018
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Autophagy and neurodegenerative disorders
Evangelia Kesidou1, Roza Lagoudaki1, Olga Touloumi1
1Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neuroimmunology, Second Department of Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece.
Neural Regeneration Research
|September 11, 2014
Summary
Aberrant protein accumulation drives neurodegeneration. This review updates the critical role of autophagy, a cellular cleaning process, in maintaining neuronal health and preventing neurodegenerative disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the accumulation of aberrant proteins and inclusion bodies within neurons.
- These aggregates trigger toxic effects, including the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress.
- Autophagy is a crucial intracellular mechanism for clearing damaged organelles and misfolded proteins, maintaining cellular homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an updated review on the role of the autophagic process in neurodegenerative disorders.
- To explore the impact of autophagic activity on neuronal homeostasis and survival rates.
- To examine the involvement of autophagy in both chronic and acute neurodegenerative conditions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on autophagy and neurodegeneration.
- Analysis of studies investigating autophagic flux in various neurodegenerative models.
- Synthesis of findings related to the modulation of autophagy in neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis.
Main Results:
- Dysregulation of autophagy (either excessive or insufficient) contributes to altered neuronal homeostasis.
- Impaired autophagic activity is linked to increased susceptibility to neurodegeneration.
- Autophagy plays a complex role, with its precise function varying across different neurodegenerative disorders.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy is a key cellular process implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
- Understanding the role of autophagy offers potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disorders.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the nuanced involvement of autophagy in specific neurodegenerative conditions.
Keywords:
Parkinson's diseaseacute and chronic neurode-generationamyotrophic lateral sclerosisapoptosisautophagyautophagy-related genesmultiple sclerosisneural regenerationneuroregenerationoxidative stressreviewsMore Related Videos
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