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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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 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 cancer.

Li Yen Mah1, Kevin M Ryan

  • 1Tumour Cell Death Laboratory, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|December 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Autophagy, a cellular process for degrading waste, is crucial for maintaining cell health and preventing cancer. Dysregulation of autophagy contributes to malignant diseases, impacting tumor suppression and immune responses.

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Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
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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
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Cell-Based Drug Screening for Inhibitors of Autophagy Related 4B Cysteine Peptidase

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Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
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Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
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Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

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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:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process involving the degradation of cytoplasmic components via lysosomes.
  • It plays a vital role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, genomic integrity, and responding to various cellular stresses.
  • Aberrant autophagy is increasingly recognized for its contribution to the development and progression of malignant diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the multifaceted roles of autophagy in cancer, particularly in tumor suppression.
  • To explore how autophagy influences cellular responses to nutrient deprivation and hypoxia.
  • To examine the interplay between autophagy, programmed cell death, and anti-tumor immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on autophagy and cancer.
  • Analysis of studies investigating autophagy's role in cellular stress responses.
  • Synthesis of findings on autophagy's impact on apoptosis and immune surveillance in tumors.

Main Results:

  • Autophagy is essential for cellular homeostasis and acts as a tumor suppressor under basal conditions.
  • Its adaptive nature allows cells to cope with nutrient and hypoxic stress, influencing cancer cell survival and death.
  • Autophagy modulates anti-tumor immune responses, affecting the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy plays a complex and critical role in cancer, acting as both a tumor suppressor and a facilitator of cancer cell survival depending on context.
  • Understanding autophagy's regulation is key to developing novel cancer therapies.
  • Targeting autophagy holds promise for enhancing cancer treatment efficacy and modulating anti-tumor immunity.