Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process, in which damaged organelles and proteins are engulfed in autophagic vesicles and subsequently fuse with lysosomes for degradation. Autophagy is widely involved in different physiologic or pathologic processes in human. Accumulating evidence indicates that autophagy operates as a critical quality control mechanism to maintain pulp homeostasis and structural integrity of the dentin-pulp complex. Autophagy is activated during stresses and is involved in the pathogenesis of pulpitis and periapical infection. Recent discoveries have also provided intriguing insights into the roles of autophagy in tooth development, pulp aging and stress adaptation. In this review, we provide an update on the multifaceted functions of autophagy in physiology and pathophysiology of tooth. We also discuss the therapeutic implications of autophagy modulation in diseases and the regeneration of dentin-pulp complex.

中文翻译：

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牙齿自噬：生理学、疾病和治疗意义

自噬是一种进化上保守的细胞过程，其中受损的细胞器和蛋白质被自噬囊泡吞噬，随后与溶酶体融合降解。自噬广泛参与人类不同的生理或病理过程。越来越多的证据表明，自噬是维持牙髓稳态和牙本质-牙髓复合体结构完整性的关键质量控制机制。自噬在应激过程中被激活，并参与牙髓炎和根尖周感染的发病机制。最近的发现也为自噬在牙齿发育、牙髓老化和压力适应中的作用提供了有趣的见解。在这篇综述中，我们更新了自噬在牙齿生理学和病理生理学中的多方面功能。