IRON METABOLISM AND AUTOPHAGY: A POORLY EXPLORED RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCES FOR HEALTH AND DISEASE

Autophagy is an important cell survival pathway which is up-regulated under stress conditions.(1)) It is a well regulated catabolic process and enables the cell to recycle its constituents and organelles for re-use.(1)) Autophagy has been implicated to play an important role in a variety of disorders such as cancer and protein aggregatory neurodegenerative diseases e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.(2)) Iron is a critical metal required for normal cellular functioning.(3)) A very tightly regulated balance of iron levels is required for the normal physiological functioning of the cell.(3)) Both an excess and deficiency of iron can lead to cellular stress, and thereby, alters the autophagic status within the cell. Thus, it is important to completely understand how iron can affect the autophagic pathway and its potential implications under physiological as well as pathological conditions.