Autophagy in cancer.
Autophagy is a catabolic degradation process in which cellular proteins and organelles are engulfed by double-membrane autophagosomes and degraded in lysosomes. Autophagy has emerged as a critical pathway in tumor development and cancer therapy, although its precise function remains a conundrum. The current consensus is that autophagy has a dual role in cancer. On the one hand, autophagy functions as a tumor suppressor mechanism by preventing the accumulation of damaged organelles and aggregated proteins. On the other hand, autophagy is a key cell survival mechanism for established tumors; therefore autophagy inhibition suppresses tumor progression. Here, we summarize recent progress on the role of autophagy in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy.
Center for Autophagy Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas 75390 USA.
Xiaoyong
X
Zhi
Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas 75390 USA.
Qing
Q
Zhong