Autophagy in neurodegeneration and development

Efficient protein turnover is essential for the maintenance of cellular health. Here we review how autophagy has fundamental functions in cellular homeostasis and possible uses as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases associated with intracytosolic aggregate formation, like Huntington's disease (HD). Drugs like rapamycin, that induce autophagy, increase the clearance of mutant huntingtin fragments and ameliorate the pathology in cell and animal models of HD and related conditions. In Drosophila, the beneficial effects of rapamycin in diseases related to HD are autophagy-dependent. We will also discuss the importance of autophagy in early stages of development and its possible contribution as a secondary disease mechanism in forms of fronto-temporal dementias, motor neuron disease, and lysosomal storage disorders. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.