Why should autophagic flux be assessed?

Abstract

As autophagy is involved in cell growth, survival, development and death, impaired autophagic flux has been linked to a variety of human pathophysiological processes, including neurodegeneration, cancer, myopathy, cardiovascular and immune-mediated disorders. There is a growing need to identify and quantify the status of autophagic flux in different pathological conditions. Given that autophagy is a highly dynamic and complex process that is regulated at multiple steps, it is often assessed accurately. This perspective review article will focus on the autophagic flux defects in different human disorders and update the current methods of monitoring autophagic flux. This knowledge is essential for developing autophagy-related therapeutics for treating the diseases. © 2013 CPS and SIMM All rights reserved.