The article provides an overview of autophagy, a conserved lysosomal degradation pathway that plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by eliminating protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Autophagy is essential for various physiological processes, including development, differentiation, and energy metabolism. It is also involved in the response to pathological conditions such as metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases. The mechanisms and regulation of autophagy are discussed, highlighting the involvement of signaling pathways like mTOR and TFEB. The article explores the therapeutic potential of modulating autophagy in these diseases, including the use of pharmacological approaches to upregulate or inhibit autophagy. It also addresses the challenges and safety concerns associated with such therapeutic strategies, particularly in the context of cancer treatment. The role of autophagy in cancer, both as a tumor suppressor and a pro-survival pathway, is reviewed, along with the potential benefits and risks of autophagy inhibition in cancer therapy. Finally, the article discusses the future directions for research, including the need for clinical trials to validate the therapeutic potential of autophagy modulation.The article provides an overview of autophagy, a conserved lysosomal degradation pathway that plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by eliminating protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Autophagy is essential for various physiological processes, including development, differentiation, and energy metabolism. It is also involved in the response to pathological conditions such as metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases. The mechanisms and regulation of autophagy are discussed, highlighting the involvement of signaling pathways like mTOR and TFEB. The article explores the therapeutic potential of modulating autophagy in these diseases, including the use of pharmacological approaches to upregulate or inhibit autophagy. It also addresses the challenges and safety concerns associated with such therapeutic strategies, particularly in the context of cancer treatment. The role of autophagy in cancer, both as a tumor suppressor and a pro-survival pathway, is reviewed, along with the potential benefits and risks of autophagy inhibition in cancer therapy. Finally, the article discusses the future directions for research, including the need for clinical trials to validate the therapeutic potential of autophagy modulation.