title: [The yin and the yang of autophagy in cancer cells].
abstract: Autophagy is a self-cannibalism process essential for tissue homeostasis, which can be activated following different environmental stressful conditions. In normal cells, autophagy could act as a brake to prevent tumorigenesis, but cancer cells are able to hijack this process to their own benefit, to promote tumor growth and/or tumor resistance to anti-cancer therapies. Scientists and clinicians attempt to modulate this process to improve therapies, using autophagy inhibitors or activators, some of them being tested currently in clinical trials against several types of tumors. Thus, it appears that autophagy is at the center of a showdown between cancer cells and anti-cancer therapies. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms by which autophagy could be either the yin or the yang of cancers.
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR1037 CRCT, Centre de recherches en cancérologie de Toulouse, 2, avenue Hubert Curien, CS 53717, F-31037 Toulouse, France - Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, UMR1037 CRCT, F-31000 Toulouse, France - CNRS, ERL5294 CRCT, F-31000 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joffre
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1218 ACTION, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux France - Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux France.
authors.forename: Mojgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Djavaheri-Mergny
authors.affiliation: IRCM, Institut de recherche en cancérologie de Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34298, France - Inserm, U1194, Montpellier, F-34298, France - Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34090, France - Institut régional du cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier, F-34298, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pattingre
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR1037 CRCT, Centre de recherches en cancérologie de Toulouse, 2, avenue Hubert Curien, CS 53717, F-31037 Toulouse, France - Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, UMR1037 CRCT, F-31000 Toulouse, France - CNRS, ERL5294 CRCT, F-31000 Toulouse, France - European Research Initiative on ALK-related malignancies (ERIA).
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giuriato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*