Our study reveals a novel role for IL‐7 in macrophage autophagy and identifies AMPK as a novel downstream mediator of IL‐7‐IL‐7R signalling and suggests that manipulation of macrophage autophagy by targeting IL‐7‐IL‐7R signalling may have the potential to lead to improved treatment options for liver pathogenesis in schistosomiasis. The gene discussed is IL7R; the disease is schistosomiasis.