Possible Therapeutic Roles of Metallothionein-3 and Zinc in Endosome-Autophagosome-Lysosome Pathway (EALP) Dysfunction in Astrocytes

The accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates contributes to the pathological progression of diverse neurodegenerative diseases. An increasing body of evidence indicates that defects in the protein clearance system play a crucial role in this process. Cargoes delivered via endosomes, phagosomes, and autophagosomes converge on lysosomes for degradation, which process is collectively called “the endosome-autophagosome-lysosome pathway” or EALP. As such, dysfunction of lysosomes may result in the accumulation of all these upstream vesicles/cargoes and may play a key role in diverse neurodegenerative conditions.