Open AccessThe Multifaceted Role of Autophagy in Endometrium Homeostasis and Disease
Author(s) -
Pooja Popli,
Ally J. Sun,
Ramakrishna Kommagani
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
reproductive sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.927
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1933-7205
pISSN - 1933-7191
DOI - 10.1007/s43032-021-00587-2
Subject(s) - autophagy , decidualization , endometrium , biology , endometriosis , homeostasis , endometrial cancer , infertility , endometrial hyperplasia , medicine , physiology , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer , pregnancy , apoptosis , biochemistry , genetics
Autophagy is a conserved fundamental cellular process with a primary function of catabolizing harmful or surplus cellular contents such as protein aggregates, dysfunctional/long-lived organelles, intracellular pathogens, and storage nutrients. An increasing body of evidence reveals that basal autophagy is essential for maintaining endometrial homeostasis and mediating endometrial-specific functions, including menstrual cycle, embryo implantation, and decidualization. However, perturbed levels of autophagy can lead to severe endometrial pathologies, including endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, adenomyosis, and leiomyoma. This review highlights the most recent findings on the activity, regulation, and function of autophagy in endometrium physiology and pathology. Understanding the mechanistic roles of autophagy in endometrium homeostasis and disease is key to developing novel therapeutic strategies for endometrium-related infertility and malignancies.