Abstract

Catabolic processes are crucial for maintaining cellular energy homeostasis, recycling components, and overall health. Dysregulation in diverse catabolic pathways, including mitochondrial quality control, muscle protein breakdown, lipid and glucose metabolism in cancer and Alzheimer’s, amino acid processing in liver disease, neurotransmitter degradation, and heme catabolism, is profoundly linked to various diseases. The ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy also play significant, often dysregulated, roles in pathologies like cancer. Understanding these intricate breakdown mechanisms provides essential insights for developing targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring metabolic balance and combating disease progression.