Transautophagy: Research and Translation of Autophagy Knowledge 2020

Together, the 4 original research papers and 4 review papers convey important new insights into (i) novel mechanisms of signal control of autophagy by hypoxia, ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein kinase (ATM), the ER stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), and the process of O-GlcNAcylation; (ii) the role of autophagy in various age-related diseases such as cardiac fibrosis, heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD); and (iii) the role of autophagy in cancer, with a particular focus on resistance mechanisms to anticancer therapy and biomarkers of chaperone-mediated autophagy (Figure 1). [figure omitted; refer to PDF] ATM is best known as a mediator of DNA damage-induced signaling. [...]they review potential neuroprotective strategies for therapeutic interventions and provide an overview of such neuroprotective mechanisms. In summary, this annual special issue has disseminated important novel developments in the field of autophagy and oxidative stress research and provides more understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms of different diseases with emphasis on translation of knowledge to treatment, including topics of autophagy regulation and oxidative stress in aging, age-related diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.