title: Small-molecule regulators of autophagy and their potential therapeutic applications.
abstract: Autophagy is a highly conserved process in which damaged proteins and organelles are sequestered in double-membrane autophagosomes and delivered to lysosomes for degradation and recycling. As an efficient response to cellular stress, autophagy is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Defective autophagy is associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer. This article summarizes current knowledge about the molecular mechanism of autophagy and its role in tumorigenesis. Particular focus is placed on the development of small-molecule regulators of autophagy and their potential application as anticancer therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Renxiao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries