Liver autophagy: much more than just taking out the trash

Autophagy contributes to the maintenance of the energetic balance, participates in hepatocyte quality control and aids in the defence against exogenous pathogens and conditions that cause cellular toxicity in the liverThe different autophagic pathways that coexist in the liver are in dynamic intercommunication with one another, enabling a coordinated response to maintain homeostasisFailure to properly execute the autophagic program leaves hepatocytes vulnerable to stressors and unable to accommodate the extreme energetic demands of this organAutophagy malfunction underlies the pathogenesis of common liver diseases, including metabolic disorders, protein conformational diseases, viral infection and carcinogenesisChemical modulation of autophagy has proven to be beneficial in certain liver pathologies, although manipulation of autophagy needs to be customized according to the status of the autophagic pathway in each disease state