Autophagy as a molecular target for cancer treatment

Eur J Pharm Sci. 2019 Jun 15:134:116-137. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.04.011. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Abstract

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic mechanism, by which eukaryotic cells recycle or degrades internal constituents through membrane-trafficking pathway. Thus, autophagy provides the cells with a sustainable source of biomolecules and energy for the maintenance of homeostasis under stressful conditions such as tumor microenvironment. Recent findings revealed a close relationship between autophagy and malignant transformation. However, due to the complex dual role of autophagy in tumor survival or cell death, efforts to develop efficient treatment strategies targeting the autophagy/cancer relation have largely been unsuccessful. Here we review the two-faced role of autophagy in cancer as a tumor suppressor or as a pro-oncogenic mechanism. In this sense, we also review the shared regulatory pathways that play a role in autophagy and malignant transformation. Finally, anti-cancer therapeutic agents used as either inhibitors or inducers of autophagy have been discussed.

Keywords: 3-MethylAdenine(3-MA) (PubChem CID: 1673); 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) (PubChem CID: 3385); Allicin (PubChem CID: 65036); Apatinib (PubChem CID: 45139106); Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) (PubChem CID: 14888); Autophagy; Bafilomycin A1 (PubChem CID: 6436223); Bortezomib (PubChem CID: 387447); Brefeldin A (PubChem CID: 5287620); Camptothecin (PubChem CID: 24360); Cancer; Chloroquine (PubChem CID: 64927); Cisplatin (PubChem CID: 5702198); Curcumin (PubChem CID: 969516); Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (PubChem CID: 5921); Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) (PubChem CID: 65064); Erlotinib (PubChem CID: 176870); Everolimus (PubChem CIDL: 6442177); Gefitinib (PubChem CID: 123631); Ginsenoside F2 (PubChem CID: 9918692); Ginsenoside Rb1 (PubChem CID: 9898279); Hidroxychloroquine (PubChem CID: 3652); Imatinib (PubChem CID:5291); LY294002 (PubChem CID: 3973); Lapatinib (PubChem CID: 208908); Monensin (PubChem CID: 441145); NVP-BEZ235 (PubChem CID: 11977753); Polygonatum cyrtonema lectin (PCL) (PubChem SID: 103031201); Quinazolinediamine (QZN) (PubChem CID: 65087); Rapamycin (PubChem CID: 62969); Resveratrol (PubChem CID: 445154); Ridaforolimus (PubChem CID: 11520894); Romidepsin (PubChem CID: 5352062); SAR405 (PubChem CID: 72709209); Scutellarein (PubChem CID: 185617); Sertraline (PubChem CID: 68617); Sorafenib (PubChem CID: 216239); Spautin-1 (PubChem CID: 51037431); Spermidine (PubChem CID: 1102); Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (PubChem CID: 5311); Tamoxifen (PubChem CID: 2733526); Temozolomide (PubChem CID: 5394); Temsirolimus (PubChem CID: 86277830); Therapeutic agents; Trastuzumab (PubChem CID: 96849); Vandetanib (PubChem CID: 3081361); Varinostat (PubChem CID: 5311); Vinblastine (PubChem CID: 13342); Viridiol (PubChem CID: 5459246); Wortmannin (PubChem CID: 312145).

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Autophagy / physiology*
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Oncogenes
  • Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents