Autophagy Agents in Clinical Trials for Cancer Therapy: A Brief Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cell Biology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Autophagy, a cellular process, gained interest following its effects in Burkitt's lymphoma.
• Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are FDA-approved autophagy inhibitors, with ongoing trials for cancer therapy.
• Pevonedistat is a novel autophagy activator targeting the neddylation pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize and present current clinical trials for autophagy modulators.
• To provide an overview of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), chloroquine (CQ), and Pevonedistat in clinical development.
• To inform clinicians about the status of these agents in cancer research.

Main Methods:

• Review of ongoing and recently completed clinical trials.
• Analysis of data on safety and efficacy of HCQ, CQ, and Pevonedistat.
• Literature search for relevant studies on autophagy inhibitors and activators.

Main Results:

• Ongoing trials are assessing the safety and efficacy of HCQ and CQ in various cancer types.
• Pevonedistat is being investigated for its role as an autophagy activator in clinical settings.
• The clinical utility of these autophagy modulators is under active investigation.

Conclusions:

• Hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and Pevonedistat represent key agents in the ongoing exploration of autophagy modulation for cancer treatment.
• Clinicians should be aware of the current clinical trial landscape for these compounds.
• Further research is necessary to establish the definitive role of these agents in oncological therapies.