Autophagy: from phenomenology to molecular understanding in less than a decade

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Nov;8(11):931-7. doi: 10.1038/nrm2245.

Abstract

In 2000, it was suggested to me that "Autophagy will be the wave of the future; it will become the new apoptosis." Few people would have agreed at the time, but this statement turned out to be prophetic, and this process of 'self-eating' rapidly exploded as a research field, as scientists discovered connections to cancer, neurodegeneration and even lifespan extension. Amazingly, the molecular breakthroughs in autophagy have taken place during only the past decade.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagy*
  • Disease
  • Health
  • Hormones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Phagosomes / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Hormones