As a result of its multifunction both in innate and adaptive immune systems, autophagy has been demonstrated to take part in the pathogenesis of several immune-related diseases. The study on the pathological mechanism of autophagy in these diseases may provide an experimental and theoretical basis for targeted intervention of autophagy in the prevention and treatment of immune diseases. To date, it has been reported that autophagy can eliminate impaired mitochondrial to inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome which promotes the progression of atherosclerosis. Moreover, enhanced autophagy can effectively prevent the occurrence of GVHD. It also plays a key role in the development of viral hepatitis. Therefore, autophagy might be a promising regulatory target for the treatment of immune-related diseases.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Autophagy; Graft-versus-host disease; Inflammatory liver disease.