Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants
07:38

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

Core signaling pathways of survival/death in autophagy-related cancer networks

Shu-ya Wang1, Qi-jia Yu, Ru-dian Zhang

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.

The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology
|June 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, has a dual role in cancer, impacting cell survival and death. Understanding its complex links to cancer may reveal new drug targets.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Molecular Oncology

Background:

  • Autophagy (macroautophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved lysosomal degradation pathway.
  • Autophagy is increasingly recognized for its involvement in various pathological processes, notably cancer.
  • The precise role of autophagy in cancer remains complex, acting as both a pro-survival and pro-death mechanism for cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the intricate relationships between autophagy and cancer.
  • To summarize key molecular pathways regulating autophagy in cancer.
  • To highlight the potential of targeting autophagy for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of autophagy and cancer research.
  • Analysis of core molecular machinery and signaling pathways involved in autophagy.
  • Examination of the interplay between autophagy regulators (mTOR, Beclin 1, p53) and cancer networks.

Main Results:

  • Autophagy plays a critical, context-dependent role in tumor initiation and progression.
  • Key signaling pathways, including the mTOR subnetwork, Beclin 1 interactome, and p53 signaling, are crucial regulators of autophagy in cancer.
  • The complex interactions within autophagy-related cancer networks are still being elucidated.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of autophagy's role in cancer is essential.
  • Targeting specific autophagic pathways holds promise for novel cancer drug development.
  • Further research into the autophagy-cancer axis can inform clinical strategies and therapeutic interventions.

More Related Videos

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry11:39

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

Published on: July 21, 2017

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy07:20

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy

Published on: January 31, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
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...
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...
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...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...