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Abd El-Aziz YS, Toit-Thompson TD, McKay MJ, Molloy MP, Stoner S, McDowell B, Moon E, Sioson L, Sheen A, Chou A, Gill AJ, Jansson PJ, Sahni S. Novel combinatorial autophagy inhibition therapy for triple negative breast cancers. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 973:176568. [PMID: 38604544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis among breast cancer subtypes. It is characterized by lack of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors, and thus, have limited therapeutic options. Autophagy has been found to be correlated with poor prognosis and aggressive behaviour in TNBC. This study aimed to target autophagy in TNBC via a novel approach to inhibit TNBC progression. METHODS Immunoblotting and confocal microscopy were carried out to examine the effect of tumor microenvironmental stressors on autophagy. Cellular proliferation and migration assays were used to test the effect of different autophagy inhibitors and standard chemotherapy alone or in combination. In vivo xenograft mouse model was utilized to assess the effect of autophagy inhibitors alone or in combination with Paclitaxel. High resolution mass spectrometry based proteomic analysis was performed to explore the mechanisms behind chemoresistance in TNBC. Lastly, immunohistochemistry was done to assess the correlation between autophagy related proteins and clinical characteristics in TNBC tissue specimens. RESULTS Metabolic stressors were found to induce autophagy in TNBC cell lines. Autophagy initiation inhibitors, SAR405 and MRT68921, showed marked synergy in their anti-proliferative activity in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant TNBC cell models. Paradoxically, positive expression of autophagosome marker LC3 was shown to be associated with better overall survival of TNBC patients. CONCLUSION In this study, a novel combination between different autophagy inhibitors was identified which inhibited tumor cell proliferation in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant TNBC cells and could result in development of a novel treatment modality against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yomna S Abd El-Aziz
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Taymin du Toit-Thompson
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew J McKay
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark P Molloy
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Shihani Stoner
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Betty McDowell
- NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Moon
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Loretta Sioson
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amy Sheen
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Angela Chou
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anthony J Gill
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Patric J Jansson
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia; Cancer Drug Resistance & Stem Cell Program, School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sumit Sahni
- Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia.
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Zamanian MY, Golmohammadi M, Nili-Ahmadabadi A, Alameri AA, Al-Hassan M, Alshahrani SH, Hasan MS, Ramírez-Coronel AA, Qasim QA, Heidari M, Verma A. Targeting autophagy with tamoxifen in breast cancer: From molecular mechanisms to targeted therapy. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2023; 37:1092-1108. [PMID: 37402635 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tamoxifen (TAM) is often recommended as a first-line treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (BC). However, TAM resistance continues to be a medical challenge for BC with hormone receptor positivity. The function of macro-autophagy and autophagy has recently been identified to be altered in BC, which suggests a potential mechanism for TAM resistance. Autophagy is a cellular stress-induced response to preserve cellular homeostasis. Also, therapy-induced autophagy, which is typically cytoprotective and activated in tumor cells, could sometimes be non-protective, cytostatic, or cytotoxic depending on how it is regulated. OBJECTIVE This review explored the literature on the connections between hormonal therapies and autophagy. We investigated how autophagy could develop drug resistance in BC cells. METHODS Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar were used to search articles for this study. RESULTS The results demonstrated that protein kinases such as pAMPK, BAX, and p-p70S6K could be a sign of autophagy in developing TAM resistance. According to the study's findings, autophagy plays an important role in BC patients' TAM resistance. CONCLUSION Therefore, by overcoming endocrine resistance in estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors, autophagy inhibition may improve the therapeutic efficacy of TAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Yasin Zamanian
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Maryam Golmohammadi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Nili-Ahmadabadi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Ameer A Alameri
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
| | | | | | - Mohammed Sami Hasan
- Department of Anesthesia Techniques, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, Iraq
| | - Andrés Alexis Ramírez-Coronel
- Azogues Campus Nursing Career, Health and Behavior Research group (HBR), Psychometry and Ethology Laboratory, Catholic University of Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
- University of Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Research Group in Educational Statistics, National University of Education, Azogues, Ecuador
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Research Group, CES University, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Mahsa Heidari
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagari, India
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Hashemi M, Paskeh MDA, Orouei S, Abbasi P, Khorrami R, Dehghanpour A, Esmaeili N, Ghahremanzade A, Zandieh MA, Peymani M, Salimimoghadam S, Rashidi M, Taheriazam A, Entezari M, Hushmandi K. Towards dual function of autophagy in breast cancer: A potent regulator of tumor progression and therapy response. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 161:114546. [PMID: 36958191 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a devastating disease, breast cancer has been responsible for decrease in life expectancy of females and its morbidity and mortality are high. Breast cancer is the most common tumor in females and its treatment has been based on employment of surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The changes in biological behavior of breast tumor relies on genomic and epigenetic mutations and depletions as well as dysregulation of molecular mechanisms that autophagy is among them. Autophagy function can be oncogenic in increasing tumorigenesis, and when it has pro-death function, it causes reduction in viability of tumor cells. The carcinogenic function of autophagy in breast tumor is an impediment towards effective therapy of patients, as it can cause drug resistance and radio-resistance. The important hallmarks of breast tumor such as glucose metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis can be regulated by autophagy. Oncogenic autophagy can inhibit apoptosis, while it promotes stemness of breast tumor. Moreover, autophagy demonstrates interaction with tumor microenvironment components such as macrophages and its level can be regulated by anti-tumor compounds in breast tumor therapy. The reasons of considering autophagy in breast cancer therapy is its pleiotropic function, dual role (pro-survival and pro-death) and crosstalk with important molecular mechanisms such as apoptosis. Moreover, current review provides a pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of autophagy in breast tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Hashemi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Deldar Abad Paskeh
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Orouei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pegah Abbasi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Khorrami
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Dehghanpour
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negin Esmaeili
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azin Ghahremanzade
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arad Zandieh
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Peymani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 4815733971, Iran; The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari 4815733971, Iran.
| | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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Lin S, Tan Z, Cui H, Ma Q, Zhao X, Wu J, Dai L, Kang H, Guan F, Dai Z. Identification of glycogene signature as a tool to predict the clinical outcome and immunotherapy response in breast cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:854284. [PMID: 36185271 PMCID: PMC9515430 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.854284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Breast cancer is one of the most important diseases in women around the world. Glycosylation modification correlates with carcinogenesis and roles of glycogenes in the clinical outcome and immune microenvironment of breast cancer are unclear. Methods A total of 1297 breast cancer and normal cases in the TCGA and GTEx databases were enrolled and the transcriptional and survival information were extracted to identify prognostic glycogenes using Univariate Cox, LASSO regression, Multivariate Cox analyses and Kaplan-Meier method. The immune infiltration pattern was explored by the single sample gene set enrichment method. The HLA and immune checkpoint genes expression were also compared in different risk groups. The expressions of a glycogene MGAT5 as well as its products were validated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting in breast cancer tissues and cells. Results A 19-glycogene signature was identified to separate breast cancer patients into high- and low-risk groups with distinct overall survival rates (P < 0.001). Compared with the high-risk group, proportion of naive B cells, plasma cells and CD8+ T cells increased in the low-risk group (P < 0.001). Besides, expressions of HLA and checkpoint genes, such as CD274, CTLA4, LAG3 and TIGIT3, were upregulated in low-risk group. Additionally, highly expressed MGAT5 was validated in breast cancer tissues and cells. Downstream glycosylation products of MGAT5 were all increased in breast cancer. Conclusions We identified a 19-glycogene signature for risk prediction of breast cancer patients. Patients in the low-risk group demonstrated a higher immune infiltration and better immunotherapy response. The validation of MGAT5 protein suggests a probable pathway and target for the development and treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Lin
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zengqi Tan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Glycobiology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Hanxiao Cui
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qilong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Glycobiology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xuyan Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Luyao Dai
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Huafeng Kang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Feng Guan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Joint International Research Laboratory of Glycobiology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Feng Guan, ; Zhijun Dai,
| | - Zhijun Dai
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Feng Guan, ; Zhijun Dai,
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5
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Dormancy in Breast Cancer, the Role of Autophagy, lncRNAs, miRNAs and Exosomes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095271. [PMID: 35563661 PMCID: PMC9105119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women for which numerous diagnostic and therapeutic options have been developed. Namely, the targeted treatment of BC, for the most part, relies on the expression of growth factors and hormone receptors by these cancer cells. Despite this, close to 30% of BC patients may experience relapse due to the presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) consisting of surviving disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) from the primary tumour which can colonise a secondary site. This can lead to either detectable metastasis or DTCs entering a dormant state for a prolonged period where they are undetectable. In the latter, cells can re-emerge from their dormant state due to intrinsic and microenvironmental cues leading to relapse and metastatic outgrowth. Pre- and clinical studies propose that targeting dormant DTCs may inhibit metastasis, but the choice between keeping them dormant or forcing their “awakening” is still controversial. This review will focus on cancer cells’ microenvironmental cues and metabolic and molecular properties, which lead to dormancy, relapse, and metastatic latency in BC. Furthermore, we will focus on the role of autophagy, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), miRNAs, and exosomes in influencing the induction of dormancy and awakening of dormant BC cells. In addition, we have analysed BC treatment from a viewpoint of autophagy, lncRNAs, miRNAs, and exosomes. We propose the targeted modulation of these processes and molecules as modern aspects of precision medicine for BC treatment, improving both novel and traditional BC treatment options. Understanding these pathways and processes may ultimately improve BC patient prognosis, patient survival, and treatment response.
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Abd El-Aziz YS, Gillson J, Jansson PJ, Sahni S. Autophagy: A promising target for triple negative breast cancers. Pharmacol Res 2021; 175:106006. [PMID: 34843961 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of breast cancers which constitutes about 15% of all breast cancer cases and characterized by negative expression of hormonal receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Thus, endocrine and HER2 targeted therapies are not effective toward TNBCs, and they mainly rely on chemotherapy and surgery for treatment. Despite recent advances in chemotherapy, 40% of TNBC patients develop a metastatic relapse and recurrence. Therefore, understanding the molecular profile of TNBC is warranted to identify targets that can be selected for the development of a new and effective therapeutic approach. Autophagy is an internal defensive mechanism that allows the cells to survive under different stressors. It has been well known that autophagy exerts a crucial role in cancer progression. The critical role of autophagy in TNBC progression is emerging in recent years. This review will discuss autophagic pathway, how autophagy affects TNBC progression and recent therapeutic approaches that can target autophagy as a new treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yomna S Abd El-Aziz
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia; Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Josef Gillson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia
| | - Patric J Jansson
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia; Cancer Drug Resistance and Stem Cell Program, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Sumit Sahni
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Kolling Institute of Medical Research, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
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Understanding the Role of Autophagy in Cancer Formation and Progression Is a Real Opportunity to Treat and Cure Human Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225622. [PMID: 34830777 PMCID: PMC8616104 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The modulation of autophagy represents a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer. More than one hundred clinical trials have been conducted or are ongoing to explore the efficacy of autophagy modulators to reduce the tumor growth and potentiate the anti-cancer effects of conventional therapy. Despite this, the effective role of autophagy during tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis remains not well understood. Depending on the cancer type and stage of cancer, autophagy may have tumor suppressor properties as well as help cancer cells to proliferate and evade cancer therapy. The current review aims to summarize the current knowledge about the autophagy implications in cancer and report the therapeutic opportunities based on the modulation of the autophagy process. Abstract The malignant transformation of a cell produces the accumulation of several cellular adaptions. These changes determine variations in biological processes that are necessary for a cancerous cell to survive during stressful conditions. Autophagy is the main nutrient recycling and metabolic adaptor mechanism in eukaryotic cells, represents a continuous source of energy and biomolecules, and is fundamental to preserve the correct cellular homeostasis during unfavorable conditions. In recent decades, several findings demonstrate a close relationship between autophagy, malignant transformation, and cancer progression. The evidence suggests that autophagy in the cancer context has a bipolar role (it may act as a tumor suppressor and as a mechanism of cell survival for established tumors) and demonstrates that the targeting of autophagy may represent novel therapeutic opportunities. Accordingly, the modulation of autophagy has important clinical benefits in patients affected by diverse cancer types. Currently, about 30 clinical trials are actively investigating the efficacy of autophagy modulators to enhance the efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapy treatments. A deeper understanding of the molecular pathways regulating autophagy in the cancer context will provide new ways to target autophagy for improving the therapeutic benefits. Herein, we describe how autophagy participates during malignant transformation and cancer progression, and we report the ultimate efforts to translate this knowledge into specific therapeutic approaches to treat and cure human cancers.
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