Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Membrane ATG8ylation in secretory autophagy.

Autophagy·2026
Same author

Caspase-8 cleavage of p62/SQSTM1 drives TNFR-induced apoptosis.

Molecular cell·2026
Same author

Microautophagy: current understanding of its molecular mechanisms and functions.

Autophagy reports·2026
Same author

Endothelial Cell Autophagy Suppresses Metastasis In Mouse Mammary and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Models.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Beyond the Secretory Pathway: New Insights Into Protein Release.

Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark)·2025
Same author

Phospho-proteome profiling in human neurons reveals targets of TBK1 in ALS/FTD-associated autophagy networks.

Cell reports·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
07:20

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Autophagy and tumorigenesis.

Nan Chen1, Jayanta Debnath

  • 1Department of Pathology, Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

FEBS Letters
|December 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Autophagy, a cellular process, plays a dual role in cancer, aiding survival under stress but also acting as a tumor suppressor. Its function is context-dependent, influencing cancer progression and treatment strategies.

More Related Videos

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
11:39

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase
09:51

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase

Published on: June 30, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
07:20

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
11:39

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase
09:51

Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase

Published on: June 30, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Autophagy, or cellular self-digestion, is activated in cancer cells under stress.
  • It promotes tumor cell survival and drug resistance.
  • Conversely, genetic evidence suggests autophagy acts as a tumor suppressor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the biological functions of autophagy in cancer development.
  • To overview autophagy regulation by cancer-associated signaling pathways.
  • To review the clinical exploitation of autophagy inhibition.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of current research.
  • Analysis of genetic evidence regarding autophagy's role.
  • Examination of signaling pathways regulating autophagy.

Main Results:

  • Autophagy's role in cancer is context- and tissue-dependent.
  • Autophagy is regulated by various cancer-associated signaling pathways.
  • Inhibition of autophagy is a therapeutic strategy.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding autophagy's complex role is crucial for cancer treatment.
  • Targeting autophagy holds promise for improving clinical outcomes.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate tissue-specific functions.