Autophagy in Neurodegenerative Diseases

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This white paper provides an overview of how autophagy plays role in neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) by covering the key molecular factors involved.

ABSTRACT

Neurodegenerative diseases differ substantially in their effects on various neuronal populations and brain regions, however, the accumulation of intracellular, pathogenic protein aggregates and the progressive loss of cellular function due to neuronal synaptic impairment seem to be common to all NDDs. Although the molecular nature of the specific pathogenic proteins differs among NDDs, each condition seems to be associated with the chronic accumulation of vesicular organelles within affected neurons. It has therefore been hypothesized that dysfunctions in autophagy are involved in the accumulation of proteins and damaged organelles in NDDs such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. In this Review, we focus on dysfunctional autophagy in NDDs and the key molecular factors that link autophagy to neurodegeneration.