title: Transcriptional regulation of autophagy in RAS-driven cancers.
abstract: RAS-driven cancers exhibit variable dependency on autophagy for survival; however, it is not fully understood how. In this issue of the JCI, Cheong and colleagues demonstrate that RAS-dependent elevation of casein kinase 1α (CK1α) negatively regulates autophagy at the level of autophagy gene transcription. Moreover, combined inhibition of both CK1α and autophagy reduced proliferation of RAS-driven tumors. The results of this study provide insight into the connection between mutant RAS and autophagy, and suggest targeting CK1α as a potential therapeutic strategy to modulate autophagy in RAS-driven cancers.
authors: Ravi K
authors: RK
authors: Amaravadi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D047389:Casein Kinase I / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras) / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D047389:Casein Kinase I; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras)