Autophagy in Neurodegeneration: Can't Digest It, Spit It Out!

The autophagy-lysosome pathway maintains cellular homeostasis and protects against neurodegenerative disorders. Recent findings show that autophagy can be impaired in these diseases, and that the cell activates an alternative Golgi-mediated degradation pathway, leading to expulsion of toxic protein aggregates. Ultimately this process leads to nuclear breakdown and neuronal cell death.