Open Access
Review
The Role of Autophagy in Heart Disease
Osman Mohiuddin1
Sabu Abraham1
Hongyuan Zhang1
Andrea Ruiz-Velasco2, *
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Submitted: 21 Jun 2024 | Revised: 15 Jul 2024 | Accepted: 16 Jul 2024 | Published: 19 Nov 2024

Abstract

Autophagy is an important biological process occurring in eukaryotic cells. There are different forms of autophagy all of which are specialised for their specific roles. The primary role of autophagy is protein degradation, regulating immune responses and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Due to its complexity, autophagy is modulated by many genes and signalling pathways. Autophagy can be induced via different mechanisms, particularly due to oxidative stress and inflammation resulting in lipid peroxidation products and the generation of cytokines. Dysregulation of autophagy modulation pathways can cause different cardiovascular pathologies ranging from atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and failure. Targeting autophagy through therapeutic agents has proven to be fruitful in the treatment of diseases. Potential therapies comprising of Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, and Resveratrol, a polyphenol, have both demonstrated efficacy in reversing cardiac hypertrophy through the modulation of autophagy. However, the challenge lies in translating the studies into real therapies which can be used clinically. It is vital to ensure that the effects of Rapamycin and Resveratrol are safe long-term. Perhaps this can be achieved through further understanding autophagy’s complex interaction with other cellular processes. This literature review will explore the different types of autophagy and their role in normal heart physiology. It also aims to study its relation to the heart diseases mentioned above. Lastly, using autophagy as a tool in disease management will also be discussed.

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Mohiuddin, O., Abraham, S., Zhang, H., & Ruiz-Velasco, A. (2024). The Role of Autophagy in Heart Disease. International Journal of Drug Discovery and Pharmacology, 3(4), 100021. https://doi.org/10.53941/ijddp.2024.100021
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