自噬在眼部疾病中的研究进展

Research progress of autophagy in eye diseases

自噬是细胞对不良环境的一种自我防御机制，真核细胞通过自噬清除异常积聚的蛋白和损伤的或多余的细胞器，甚至病原微生物来维持细胞内稳态。近年来的研究表明，自噬与众多眼病包括白内障、角膜营养不良、青光眼、年龄相关性黄斑病变等疾病的发生和发展有着密切联系。期望通过小分子化合物（自噬的激活剂或抑制剂）或者药物调控细胞的自噬水平，从而为眼部疾病提供一种新的治疗策略。

Autophagy is a kind of cell status with which cells can protect themselves from unfavorable micro-environment. Eukaryotic cells clear accumulation of abnormal proteins, damaged or redundant organelles and microorganisms by autophagy to maintain cellular homeostasis. Increasing evidences had shown that autophagy is closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of a number of ocular disorders in- cluding cataract, corneal dystrophy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. We expect regulating cell autophagy by small molecular compound （activator or depressor of autophagy） or durg, which will provide new treatment strategies for eye diseases.