Role of tumor and host autophagy in cancer metabolism

  1. Eileen White1,2
  1. 1Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, USA;
  2. 2Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
  1. Corresponding author: epwhite{at}cinj.rutgers.edu

Abstract

Macroautophagy (referred to here as autophagy) degrades and recycles cytoplasmic constituents to sustain cellular and mammalian metabolism and survival during starvation. Deregulation of autophagy is involved in numerous diseases, such as cancer. Cancers up-regulate autophagy and depend on it for survival, growth, and malignancy in a tumor cell-autonomous fashion. Recently, it has become apparent that autophagy in host tissues as well as the tumor cells themselves contribute to tumor growth. Understanding how autophagy regulates metabolism and tumor growth has revealed new essential tumor nutrients, where they come from, and how they are supplied and used, which can now be targeted for cancer therapy.

Keywords

This article is distributed exclusively by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the first six months after the full-issue publication date (see http://genesdev.cshlp.org/site/misc/terms.xhtml). After six months, it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International), as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

| Table of Contents

G&D Most Read

View all ...

Life Science Alliance