Integrating autophagy and metabolism in cancer

Autophagy is a catabolic process mediated by lysosomal degradation and is a key player in regulating cellular metabolism during cancer progression. Autophagy maintains cellular homeostasis by degrading unnecessary cellular molecules, which also prevents tumorigenesis. Conversely, autophagy also provides nutrients that support malignant tumor growth in advanced tumors. Multiple novel mechanisms have been proposed to explain the tumor-facilitating role of autophagy. Autophagy regulates diverse metabolic pathways that promote tumor proliferation and survival, which are closely associated with oncogenic activators and tumor suppressors. Autophagy has been implicated in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Accordingly, autophagy has emerged as a tumor-promoting mechanism that facilitates cancer cell growth and survival. Mechanistic studies of autophagy during tumor progression may identify potential targets that can be utilized to disrupt cancer development. Understanding the molecular networks integrating metabolic changes and autophagy in cancer cells could provide novel insights to enhance targeted cancer therapies.