Cellular quality control systems have gained much attention in recent decades. Among
these, autophagy is a natural self-preservation mechanism that continuously eliminates toxic cellular
components and acts as an anti-ageing process. It is vital for cell survival and to preserve homeostasis.
Several cell-type-dependent canonical or non-canonical autophagy pathways have been reported
showing varying degrees of selectivity with regard to the substrates targeted. Here, we provide an
updated review of the autophagy machinery and discuss the role of various forms of autophagy
in neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Parkinson’s disease. We describe recent
findings that have led to the proposal of therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy to alter the course
of Parkinson’s disease progression. CLICK TO REVIEW
Keywords: autophagy; lysosomes; neurodegenerative disease; Parkinson’s disease; autoimmunity