Chaperone-mediated autophagy in physiological homeostasis, disease and ageing.

CMA regulates diverse physiological functions and its dysfunction in aging and disease impacts cellular health beyond protein accumulation.

• Why it matters: Understanding CMA's role is crucial because its impairment contributes to aging and age-related diseases, yet the full scope of its functions and therapeutic potential remains unclear.
• What they did: The review discusses recent discoveries of CMA components, in vivo modulation studies, and identification of organ-specific CMA substrates, revealing its broad physiological roles.
• The result: Findings suggest that targeting CMA could offer new therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases by restoring cellular homeostasis and preventing detrimental protein accumulation.