Non-canonical autophagy in aging and age-related diseases

Autophagy, one of the arms of proteostasis, influences aging and age-related diseases. Recently, the discovery of additional roles of autophagy-related proteins in non-canonical degradation and secretion has revealed alternative fates of autophagic cargo. Some of these non-canonical pathways have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases and improving the understanding of this link is crucial for their potential targetability in aging and age-related diseases. This review discusses recent investigations of the involvement of non-canonical autophagy players and pathways in age-related diseases that are now beginning to be discovered. Unraveling these pathways and their relation to classical autophagy could unearth a fascinating new layer of proteostasis regulation during normal aging and in longevity.

Automated summary

Autophagy, a mechanism of protein homeostasis, has implications for aging and age-related diseases. Recently, it has been discovered that autophagy-related proteins have additional roles in non-canonical degradation and secretion, revealing alternative pathways for autophagic cargo. Some of these pathways are linked to neurodegenerative diseases, and understanding this connection is important for potential therapeutic targets in aging and age-related diseases. This review discusses recent investigations into the involvement of non-canonical autophagy players and pathways in age-related diseases that are just beginning to be understood. Unraveling these pathways and their relationship to classical autophagy could provide a fascinating new layer of protein homeostasis regulation during normal aging and longevity.