Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
Published on: January 31, 2025
Recent Advances in the Role of Autophagy in Endocrine-Dependent Tumors
Anvita Komarla1,2, Suzanne Dufresne2, Christina G Towers2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Abstract:
Autophagy plays a complex role in several cancer types, including endocrine-dependent cancers, by fueling cellular metabolism and clearing damaged substrates. This conserved recycling process has a dual function across tumor types where it can be tumor suppressive at early stages but tumor promotional in established disease. This review highlights the controversial roles of autophagy in endocrine-dependent tumors regarding cancer initiation, tumorigenesis, metastasis, and treatment response. We summarize clinical trial results thus far and highlight the need for additional mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical studies in endocrine-dependent tumors, particularly in breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Autocrine Signaling
Autocrine Signaling in Macrophages
Under normal physiological conditions, autocrine signaling is essential for maintaining homeostasis. This process is well characterized in...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

