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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Olfactory Assays for Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: August 25, 2014
Autophagy at synapses in neurodegenerative diseases
Wongyoung Lee1, Sung Hyun Kim2,3
1Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, South Korea.
Abstract:
Autophagy is an essential process for maintaining cellular homeostasis, a critical process in all cell types. Because neurons are post-mitotic cells, maintaining cellular and functional homeostasis is more important in neurons than in other types of cells. Synapses are fundamental units needed for neural communication, and synapses with consistent protein quality are essential for neural functionality. Dysregulation of autophagy in neurons has been shown to be related to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. This review describes the role of autophagy in the maintenance of synaptic functionality and the association between synaptic autophagy and neurodegenerative diseases.
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