Autophagy Reprogramming in Cancer

During malignancy, metabolic reprogramming is critical for cancer cells to survive and thrive in nutrient- and oxygen-poor conditions. Autophagy is a catabolic process through which intracellular components are degraded to support cells upon exposure to stressful conditions. While autophagy is protective during early cancer initiation, tumor cells may initiate cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic autophagy to support their survival in later stages of cancer. As autophagy is present at low levels in most tissues under homeostasis and upregulated in malignancy, there has been great interest in targeting the autophagy pathway for cancer therapy. Here, we discuss the mechanisms through which autophagy and autophagy-related proteins act to limit carcinogenesis. We then review pro-tumor roles for autophagy in tumor cells as well as in components of the tumor microenvironment. Finally, we discuss autophagy-targeted approaches for cancer therapy. This review article highlights autophagy as a key player in cell metabolism that is often leveraged to support cancer progression and as a potential therapeutic target in a variety of cancer types.