For a long time, lysosomes were considered merely to be cellular 'incinerators' 
involved in the degradation and recycling of cellular waste. However, now there 
is compelling evidence indicating that lysosomes have a much broader function 
and that they are involved in fundamental processes such as secretion, plasma 
membrane repair, signalling and energy metabolism. Furthermore, the essential 
role of lysosomes in autophagic pathways puts these organelles at the crossroads 
of several cellular processes, with significant implications for health and 
disease. The identification of a master regulator, transcription factor EB 
(TFEB), that regulates lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy has revealed how the 
lysosome adapts to environmental cues, such as starvation, and targeting TFEB 
may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for modulating lysosomal function in 
human disease.