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Targeting autophagy for the treatment of cancer

Simone Fulda1,2,3

  • 1Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Komturstr. 3a, D-60528 Frankfurt, Germany.

Biological Chemistry
|March 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, is often hijacked by cancer drugs to help cancer cells survive. However, it can also be triggered to cause cancer cell death, offering new therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Mechanisms

Background:

  • Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a conserved catabolic process in eukaryotic cells.
  • Autophagy degrades damaged cellular components.
  • Dysregulation of autophagy is implicated in human diseases, notably cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the concept of anticancer drug-induced autophagic cell death (ACD).
  • To explore the dual role of autophagy in cancer therapy.
  • To present examples of ACD triggered by anticancer drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific articles and studies.
  • Analysis of the role of autophagy in cancer drug response.
  • Identification and categorization of ACD-inducing anticancer agents.

Main Results:

  • Anticancer drugs can activate autophagy, typically promoting cancer cell survival.
  • Under specific conditions, autophagy activation leads to cancer cell death (ACD).
  • ACD represents a distinct cell death pathway induced by certain chemotherapeutics.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy's role in cancer is complex, acting as both a survival and death mechanism.
  • Targeting autophagy offers potential for novel cancer treatment strategies.
  • Anticancer drug-induced ACD presents a promising avenue for cancer therapy development.
Keywords:
autophagic cell death (ACD)autophagycancercancer therapycell death

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