title: Therapeutic targeting of autophagy in cancer. Part I: molecular pathways controlling autophagy.
abstract: Autophagy is a process in which cells can generate energy and building materials, by degradation of redundant and/or damaged organelles and proteins. Especially during conditions of stress, autophagy helps to maintain homeostasis. In addition, autophagy has been shown to influence malignant transformation and cancer progression. The precise molecular events in autophagy are complex and the core autophagic machinery described to date consists of nearly thirty proteins. Apart from these factors that execute the process of autophagy, several signalling pathways are involved in converting internal and external stimuli into an autophagic response. In this review we provide an overview of the signalling pathways that influence autophagy, particularly in cancer cells. We will illustrate that interference with multiple of these signalling pathways can have significant effects on cancer cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: anika.ducker-nagelkerke@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagelkerke
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: fred.sweep@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Fred C G J
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sweep
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Anneke.Geurts-Moespot@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Anneke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geurts-Moespot
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: jan.bussink@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bussink
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: paul.span@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Span
mesh_terms: D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D056811:Unfolded Protein Response / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Autophagy; Cancer; Signalling pathways