Interactions of Autophagy and the Immune System in Health and Diseases.

Autophagy is a highly conserved process that utilizes lysosomes to selectively degrade a variety of intracellular cargo, thus providing quality control over cellular components and maintaining cellular regulatory functions. Autophagy is triggered by multiple stimuli ranging from nutrient starvation to microbial infection. Autophagy extensively shapes and modulates the inflammatory response, the concerted action of immune cells, and secreted mediators aimed to eradicate a microbial infection or to heal sterile tissue damage.

TFEB - at the crossroads of host-pathogen interactions.

The existence of constantly evolving dynamic interactions between the host and the pathogen determines their fate in this continuous arms race. Hence, identifying the molecular basis of processes that reinforce host defensive strategies to eliminate intracellular pathogens is of utmost significance. Pathogenic intrusion activates autophagy and phagocytic pathways that culminate in the lysosome, a vital organelle responsible for pathogen clearance.