Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

5.1K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
5.1K
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

4.7K
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,...
4.7K
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

8.0K
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...
8.0K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

3.9K
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...
3.9K
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells01:18

Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells

3.6K
A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
3.6K
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

3.6K
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...
3.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comparative in vitro screening identifies beta-hairpin antimicrobial peptide leads against Piscirickettsia salmonis, supported by membrane-level molecular dynamics.

BMC microbiology·2026
Same author

Role of the endocannabinoid system in teleostei fish physiology: implications for reproduction and environmental interactions.

Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia·2026
Same author

Fractal Indices as Estimators of the Complexity of Ephemeroptera Nymph Movement in a Thermal Stress Experiment.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

Expression, Solubilization, and Refolding Recovery of a Novel l‑Asparaginase-Arginase 1 Chimera from <i>E. coli</i> Inclusion Bodies.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Persistence of Indocyanine Green One Week After Percutaneous Injection into Pulmonary Nodules.

Archivos de bronconeumologia·2025
Same author

Toward Safer Biotherapeutics: Expression and Characterization of a Humanized Chimeric L-Asparaginase in <i>E. coli</i>.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 30, 2025

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
07:29

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies

Published on: June 20, 2015

19.8K

Understanding autophagy role in cancer stem cell development.

Cristóbal Aguilar-Gallardo1, Mauricio Zamorano2, Jorge G Farias2

  • 1Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain. cristobal_aguilar@iislafe.es.

Molecular Biology Reports
|March 12, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor growth and spread. Targeting hypoxia-induced autophagy in CSCs offers a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Keywords:
AutophagyCSCs, Cancer Stem cellsHypoxiaHypoxia-targeted therapiesSignaling pathway

More Related Videos

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

688
Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
11:39

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

31.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 30, 2025

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies
07:29

Studying Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics for Developing New Treatment Strategies

Published on: June 20, 2015

19.8K
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

688
Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry
11:39

Assessing Autophagic Flux by Measuring LC3, p62, and LAMP1 Co-localization Using Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry

Published on: July 21, 2017

31.6K

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a critical subpopulation driving tumor development, proliferation, metastasis, and treatment resistance.
  • CSCs possess unique stem-like properties, including self-renewal and differentiation, enabling survival in harsh tumor microenvironments.
  • The tumor microenvironment, particularly hypoxia, activates autophagy, enhancing CSC stemness and contributing to increased tumorigenicity and metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced autophagy in cancer stem cells (CSCs).
  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy for cancer treatment.
  • To investigate the potential of 3D platforms for developing autophagy-based biologics against CSCs.

Main Methods:

  • Review and analysis of existing literature on CSCs, autophagy, and hypoxia.
  • Discussion of the role of the tumor microenvironment in CSC behavior.
  • Exploration of 3D cell culture models for mimicking in vivo conditions.

Main Results:

  • Hypoxia significantly enhances autophagy in CSCs, boosting their stemness and metastatic potential.
  • Autophagy inhibition presents a potential therapeutic avenue to counteract CSC-driven cancer progression.
  • 3D platforms offer a more physiologically relevant environment for studying CSCs and developing targeted therapies.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding hypoxia-induced autophagy in CSCs is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies.
  • Targeting autophagy presents a promising strategy to overcome CSC-mediated resistance and metastasis.
  • 3D culture systems are essential for advancing the development of novel, cost-effective autophagy-based biologics for clinical application.