Autophagy and mitophagy in dermatological disease: a comprehensive review from molecular pathways to therapeutic frontiers

Abstract Autophagy – the cell’s built-in recycling and quality-control programme – touches every layer of cutaneous biology. In keratinocytes it sculpts the cornified envelope; in melanocytes it balances pigment synthesis and oxidative stress; in immune and appendageal cells it fine-tunes defence, repair and hair-follicle cycling. When this choreography falters, skin disorders emerge. This review journeys from basic mechanisms (ULK1 signalling, Beclin-1/VPS34 nucleation, LC3B lipidation, selective mitophagy) to their fingerprints in health and disease. We dissect how autophagy malfunctions drive psoriasis