a degradative role but that it also carries the task of unconventional secretion of cytoplasmic proteins. This has led to the term "secretory autophagy". This work, along with the work by others in yeast, extends the influence sphere of autophagy from its canonical roles inside the cell and the confines of the intracellular space to the extracellular space, affecting cell-cell interactions, inflammation, tissue organization, function, and remodeling. Autophagy and coronavirus biology are intertwined. SARS-CoV-2 inhibits autophagosomal prophagophore (HyPAS) formation, likely to divert cellular membranes for the formation of protrusion-type viral-replication and viral assembly compartments or to protect the coronavirus. Another example is that ATG9A protein protects cells against plasma membrane damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a. Deretic's group has previously shown how chloroquine works by functions in respiratory epithelial cells including suppressing inflammation and drivers of fibrosis that can lead to lung damage and loss of function, and recently put that in the context of how chloroquine, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin may help with the covid19 pandemic crisis. A follow-up study indicates that ciprofloxacin has potent effects on inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells as measured by reduced cytopathic effects, quantitative RT-PCR and plaque forming units. Ambroxol is another drug that has beneficial effects in Vero E6 cells. A comprehensive review with over 1,500 citations by Deretic and colleagues summarizes the role of autophagy in immunity and inflammation: A more recent review by Deretic in the Cell Press journal Immunity summarizes the role of autophagy in inflammation and how it affects various diseases, from autoimmunity to cancer, infections (including COVID-19), cardiovascular and liver diseases, neurodegeneration, diabetes and metabolic disorders. Some of the early publications (the original discovery that autophagy acts against intracellular microbes with >2,000 citations) include: Cell and in Science. Several more recent primary publications include reports in Cell Molecular Cell, Developmental Cell, Journal of Cell Biology and Nature Cell Biology. See also Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) Center References American geneticists American microbiologists Living people University of Michigan faculty University of New Mexico faculty Year of birth missing (living people)