Canonical pathways and selective mechanisms of autophagy in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Autophagy, an essential intracellular homeostatic process, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and progression of IBD. This review systematically examines recent advances in understanding the involvement of autophagy in IBD, with a particular focus on the regulatory mechanisms governing its sequential phases—initiation, elongation, and termination—and their respective contributions to intestinal inflammation. We highlight how dysregulation of core autophagy components, including the ULK1 complex, Beclin 1 complex, and ATG16L1, influences inflammatory responses. Furthermore, this article delves into the context-dependent roles of selective autophagy pathways such as mitophagy, ER-phagy, and xenophagy in IBD, as well as the emerging significance of non-autophagic functions exerted by autophagy-related genes. By integrating these multifaceted aspects, this review aims to provide a theoretical foundation and identify potential targets for future precision therapeutics targeting autophagy in IBD.