自噬:肾脏疾病治疗新靶点

Autophagy: a new therapeutic target for renal diseases

自噬是一种高度保守的细胞行为,是细胞降解自身受损细胞器及大分子物质的过程。该机制广泛存在于所有真核细胞内,细胞稳态因其存在而得以维持。过去的几十年中,国内外关于自噬的研究颇多。多个研究报道了自噬在哺乳动物不同器官中的生理作用以及自噬激活受损在老年病、异常糖脂代谢、神经退行性病变等一系列病理变化中的作用。目前,旨在调节自噬激活的新疗法受到期待。最近几年里,自噬在肾脏中的作用逐渐为人们所关注,一系列研究表明,自噬与多种肾脏疾病相关。现就自噬的分子机制,肾脏自噬相关研究的新进展以及有待解决的问题作一综述。

Autophagy is a highly reserved cell process which degrades damaged proteins and organelles in mammalian cells and plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. In the past decades, studies on autophagy were carried out, the physiological role of autophagy in different organs of mammals was reported, as well as the role autophagy activation impairment plays in the development of geriatric diseases, abnormal glucose-lipid metabolism, and neurodegenerative disorders. Nowadays, studies were carried out to explore new therapies for regulating autophagy activation. The role of autophagy in the kidney has gradually been interpreted, and reports are indicating an association between autophagy and various kidney diseases. This paper targets on the molecular mechanisms regulating autophagy and new findings about autophagy research on the kidney, as well as issues which have yet to be resolved.