Crosstalk between autophagy and inflammatory signalling pathways: balancing defence and homeostasis

Key Points The cellular degradative process of autophagy participates in multiple aspects of immunity, including cell-autonomous defence, innate immune signalling and antigen presentation. Extensive crosstalk between autophagy and inflammatory signalling cascades ensures a robust immune response towards pathogens while avoiding collateral damage to the host. Several chronic inflammatory disorders are associated with autophagy dysfunction. Pathways that induce autophagy, such as those downstream of pattern recognition receptors, are conversely subject to regulation by autophagy. Autophagy can increase and decrease different components of the same inflammatory signalling cascade in a context-dependent manner. Many immune-related functions of conserved autophagy proteins reflect non-canonical functions of the autophagy machinery, representing new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.