A curated census of autophagy-modulating proteins and small molecules: candidate targets for cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Oncology

Background:

• Autophagy plays a dual role in cancer, exhibiting both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting functions.
• Both stimulating and inhibiting autophagy can lead to cancer cell death, highlighting its complex involvement in cancer.
• Specific genes and proteins are linked to autophagy with both positive and negative associations in cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive, curated inventory of autophagy modulators.
• To provide a foundation for analyzing the complexities of autophagy in cancer.
• To guide the development of novel autophagy-targeted cancer therapies.

Main Methods:

• Integrated data from published siRNA screens.
• Utilized multiple pathway analysis algorithms.
• Performed extensive, manually curated text-mining of scientific literature.

Main Results:

• Compiled an inventory of 739 proteins involved in autophagy modulation.
• Identified 385 chemicals, including drugs, small molecules, and metabolites, that modulate autophagy.
• Analyzed the sources of information and their interrelationships due to the early stage of autophagy research.

Conclusions:

• The curated inventory provides a basis for further research into autophagy's role in cancer.
• Understanding autophagy modulators is crucial for developing targeted cancer therapies.
• Novel strategies for targeting autophagy in cancer treatment are discussed.