Autophagy has a dual role in disease, acting as both a cell survival mechanism and a cell death pathway. In cancer, autophagy can either suppress tumor initiation by eliminating damaged organelles and proteins or promote tumor growth by providing nutrients under metabolic stress. In neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, defective autophagy can lead to the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates. Conversely, enhanced autophagy can help clear these aggregates and protect neuronal cells.
