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Autophagy modulation as a potential targeted cancer therapy: From drug repurposing to new drug development

Chia-Jung Lin1, Yuan-Ni Tsao1, Chih-Wen Shu1,2,3

  • 1Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
|January 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Autophagy, a cellular recycling process, plays a dual role in cancer. This review explores how modulating autophagy-related proteins offers a promising strategy for targeted cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Autophagy is a fundamental cellular process for maintaining homeostasis by degrading damaged components.
  • Dysfunctional autophagy is implicated in the development and progression of various diseases, especially cancer.
  • Autophagy exhibits a complex role in cancer, acting as both a tumor suppressor and a promoter of malignancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the involvement of autophagy-related (ATG) proteins in cancer signaling.
  • To discuss the dual role of autophagy in cancer progression and malignancy.
  • To explore the potential of autophagy modulation as a targeted cancer therapy strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of autophagy signaling pathways and ATG proteins.
  • Analysis of the role of autophagy in different stages of cancer.
  • Evaluation of existing FDA-approved drugs and novel ATG inhibitors for cancer treatment.

Main Results:

  • Autophagy-related proteins are crucial regulators of autophagy signaling.
  • Autophagy's role in cancer is context-dependent, influencing tumor suppression and promotion.
  • FDA-approved drugs can modulate autophagic flux, and specific ATG inhibitors show promise in suppressing cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting autophagy-related proteins presents a viable strategy for cancer therapy.
  • Autophagy modulators, alone or in combination therapy, can enhance cancer treatment efficacy.
  • Further research into specific ATG inhibitors is warranted for developing novel cancer treatments.
Keywords:
ATG proteinanti-cancer drugautophagyinducerinhibitor

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