Autophagy in Cancer: Mechanisms, Dual Roles, and Therapeutic Targeting
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jvls.2025.1.2.6Keywords:
Autophagy, Autophagosome ATG proteins, Cancer, Cytoprotective , mTORAbstract
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradation mechanism essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. It regulates the turnover of damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and metabolic by-products through lysosomal degradation. In cancer biology, autophagy exhibits a context-dependent and paradoxical role. While it prevents malignant transformation by maintaining genomic stability and suppressing inflammation in early tumorigenesis, established tumors often exploit autophagy to sustain survival during metabolic stress, resist anticancer therapies, and support metastasis. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the molecular mechanisms of autophagy, its dual role in cancer initiation and progression, and its significance in cancer cell metabolism, tumor microenvironment, and therapy resistance. Current therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy both inhibitors and activators are evaluated, including ongoing clinical trials. Finally, the article discusses emerging challenges and future perspectives in utilizing autophagy modulation for cancer therapy.Downloads
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