title: Autophagy modulation as a target for anticancer drug discovery.
abstract: Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process involving the engulfment and degradation of non-essential or abnormal cellular organelles and proteins, is crucial for homeostatic maintenance in living cells. This highly regulated, multi-step process has been implicated in diverse diseases including cancer. Autophagy can function as either a promoter or a suppressor of cancer, which makes it a promising and challenging therapeutic target. Herein, we overview the regulatory mechanisms and dual roles of autophagy in cancer. We also describe some of the representative agents that exert their anticancer effects by regulating autophagy. Additionally, some emerging strategies aimed at modulating autophagy are discussed as having the potential for future anticancer drug discovery. In summary, these findings will provide valuable information to better utilize autophagy in the future development of anticancer therapeutics that meet clinical requirements.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences & State Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Huai-long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yong-xi
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jin-ku
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D035683:MicroRNAs
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