title: Autophagy in Cancer Chemoprevention: Identification of Novel Autophagy Modulators with Anticancer Potential.
abstract: Cancer cells have the ability to tolerate extreme conditions, autophagy-related stress tolerance enables cancer cells to survive by maintaining energy production that leads to cell growth and therapeutic resistance. Insufficient activation of autophagy in nutrient-deprived cancer cells may sensitize cancer cells to a broad array of chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation. Therefore, identification of novel autophagy modulators with lower toxicity and better therapeutic index would be beneficial for cancer therapy. Here, we describe several currently used biochemical methods to assess autophagic activity and lysosomal function in cultured cancer cells. We also discuss both in vitro and in vivo assays to clarify the anticancer potential of novel autophagy modulators.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
authors.forename: Yuanzhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.affiliation: Key Lab in Healthy Science and Technology, Division of Life Science, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Room L410, Building L. Tsinghua Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China. xu.naihan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Naihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism; D018890:Chemoprevention; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002403:Cathepsins
keywords: Autophagosome; Autophagy; Caloric restriction; Cancer; Cathepsin; Cell death; DQ-BSA; Flow cytometry; GFP-LC3; Immunofluorescence; Lysosome