Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism by which cellular proteins and organelles are eliminated by the lysosomal degradation pathway. This process is important for cellular homeostasis by removal of superfluous organelles and proteins via the formation of autophagosome. An intact autophagic pathway is necessary for longevity and defense against pathogens. Malfunction of autophagic pathway is associated tumor development, neurodegenerative disorders, immunity or infectious diseases, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.
In view of this, the editor-in-chief of the international SCI journal “Autophagy”, Professor Daniel J Klionsky, started to convene a global group of scientists, experts and scholars in this area, and propose new guidelines and amendments together on the researches on autophagy.
The chair professor Liu Liang, associate professor Dr. KamWai Wong and assistant professor Dr. Yuen Kwan Law from the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines (SKL)-MUST, were honorably invited to participate in the amendment of the “Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)”. The guidelines have just been published in the prestigious journal “Autophagy” (impact factor 11.753) at January 21, 2016, with authors ranked in alphabetical order. This reflects the high academic merit and active involvement of SKL research staffs in international research works.
