Autophagy in Cancer and Metastasis

A topical collection in Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This collection belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

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Editors

Laboratory of Experimental Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Via Riccardo Galeazzi 4, 20161 Milano, Italia
Interests: breast cancer; bone metastasis; tumor microenvironment; invasive growth; epithelial–mesenchymal transition; autophagy; signal transduction; immunohistochemistry; animal models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Laboratory of Experimental Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Via Riccardo Galeazzi, 4, 20161 Milano, Italia
2. Department of Athletics, Strength and Conditioning, Poznań University of Physical Education, Królowej Jadwigi 27/39, 61-871 Poznań, Poland
Interests: endocrine function of muscle-skeletal tissue; molecular biomarkers of muscle-skeletal tissue functions; primary and metastatic bone tumors; pre-analytical phase of biomarkers measurement
Laboratory of Experimental Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Via Riccardo Galeazzi, 4, 20161 Milano, Italia
Interests: breast cancer; bone metastasis; bone tumors; tumor microenvironment; invasive growth; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; miRNAs; NK cells; immune evasion; miRNA-based therapeutics

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process necessary for cells to maintain homeostasis and to respond to different environmental stresses through the recycling of their damaged cellular proteins, organelles, and other cellular components. Alteration in autophagy machinery may lead to diverse pathological conditions, including cancer. A close relationship between autophagy, malignant transformation, and cancer progression has been demonstrated in recent decades. Emerging evidence shows a role for autophagy in the modulation of tumor cell motility and invasion, in the promotion and maintenance of the stem-cell phenotype, in drug resistance, in tumor dormancy, and in immune surveillance, all of which are involved in the survival of cancer cells and in the development of metastases. Autophagy has both pro- and anti-tumorigenic roles, depending on the oncogenic context and the stage of tumorigenesis.

This Topical Collection provides a general overview of how autophagy affects cancer growth and modulates the development and spread of metastases. Particular emphasis will be given to the new ways of targeting autophagy to improve treatment outcomes or prevent cancer progression and metastatic disease.

Research and review articles on this topic are invited.

Dr. Paola Maroni
Prof. Dr. Giovanni Lombardi
Dr. Marta Gomarasca
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • autophagy
  • cancer
  • metastasis
  • cancer treatment
  • tumor dormancy
  • immune surveillance
  • autophagy inhibitors
  • autophagy activators
  • anoikis

Published Papers (4 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022

19 pages, 1541 KiB  
Review
The Role of Autophagy in Breast Cancer Metastasis
by Hye Min Kim and Ja Seung Koo
Biomedicines 2023, 11(2), 618; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines11020618 - 18 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3239
Abstract
Patient morbidity and mortality is significantly increased in metastatic breast cancer. The metastasis process of breast cancer is very complicated and is delicately controlled by various factors. Autophagy is one of the important regulatory factors affecting metastasis in breast cancer by engaging in [...] Read more.
Patient morbidity and mortality is significantly increased in metastatic breast cancer. The metastasis process of breast cancer is very complicated and is delicately controlled by various factors. Autophagy is one of the important regulatory factors affecting metastasis in breast cancer by engaging in cell mobility, metabolic adaptation, tumor dormancy, and cancer stem cells. Here, we discuss the effects of autophagy on metastasis in breast cancer and assess the potential use of autophagy modulators for metastasis treatment. Full article
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16 pages, 1029 KiB  
Article
Transcription of Autophagy Associated Gene Expression as Possible Predictors of a Colorectal Cancer Prognosis
by Martyna Bednarczyk, Małgorzata Muc-Wierzgoń, Sylwia Dzięgielewska-Gęsiak, Edyta Fatyga and Dariusz Waniczek
Biomedicines 2023, 11(2), 418; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines11020418 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1511
Abstract
(1) Background: Autophagy plays a dual role in oncogenesis—it contributes to the growth of the tumor and can inhibit its development. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the transcriptional activity of LAMP-2, BECN1, PINK1, and FOXO1 genes involved [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Autophagy plays a dual role in oncogenesis—it contributes to the growth of the tumor and can inhibit its development. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the transcriptional activity of LAMP-2, BECN1, PINK1, and FOXO1 genes involved in the autophagy process in histopathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma sections of colorectal cancer: (2) Methods: A gene expression profile analysis was performed using HG-U133A and the RT-qPCR reaction. The transcriptional activity of genes was compared in sections of colorectal cancer in the four clinical stages (CSI-CSIV) concerning the control group; (3) Results: In CSI, the transcriptional activity of the PINK1 gene is highest; in CS II, the LAMP-2 gene is highest, while FOXO1 increases gradually from CSI reaching a maximum in CSIII. There is no BECN1 gene expression in colorectal cancer cells; (4) Conclusions: The observed differences in the mRNA concentration profile of autophagy-related genes in colon cancer specimens may indicate the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of this cancer. Genes involved in autophagy may be diagnostic tools for colorectal cancer screening and personalized therapy in the future. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023

18 pages, 788 KiB  
Review
The Cytoprotective, Cytotoxic and Nonprotective Functional Forms of Autophagy Induced by Microtubule Poisons in Tumor Cells—Implications for Autophagy Modulation as a Therapeutic Strategy
by Jingwen Xu, Ahmed M. Elshazly and David A. Gewirtz
Biomedicines 2022, 10(7), 1632; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines10071632 - 07 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2535
Abstract
Microtubule poisons, as is the case with other antitumor drugs, routinely promote autophagy in tumor cells. However, the nature and function of the autophagy, in terms of whether it is cytoprotective, cytotoxic or nonprotective, cannot be predicted; this likely depends on both the [...] Read more.
Microtubule poisons, as is the case with other antitumor drugs, routinely promote autophagy in tumor cells. However, the nature and function of the autophagy, in terms of whether it is cytoprotective, cytotoxic or nonprotective, cannot be predicted; this likely depends on both the type of drug studied as well as the tumor cell under investigation. In this article, we explore the literature relating to the spectrum of microtubule poisons and the nature of the autophagy induced. We further speculate as to whether autophagy inhibition could be a practical strategy for improving the response to cancer therapy involving these drugs that have microtubule function as a primary target. Full article
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18 pages, 1859 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Aspects and Molecular Targets of Autophagy to Control Pancreatic Cancer Management
by Md. Ataur Rahman, Kazi Rejvee Ahmed, MD. Hasanur Rahman, Md. Anowar Khasru Parvez, In-Seon Lee and Bonglee Kim
Biomedicines 2022, 10(6), 1459; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomedicines10061459 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2605
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) begins within the organ of the pancreas, which produces digestive enzymes, and is one of the formidable cancers for which appropriate treatment strategies are urgently needed. Autophagy occurs in the many chambers of PC tissue, including cancer cells, cancer-related fibroblasts, [...] Read more.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) begins within the organ of the pancreas, which produces digestive enzymes, and is one of the formidable cancers for which appropriate treatment strategies are urgently needed. Autophagy occurs in the many chambers of PC tissue, including cancer cells, cancer-related fibroblasts, and immune cells, and can be fine-tuned by various promotive and suppressive signals. Consequently, the impacts of autophagy on pancreatic carcinogenesis and progression depend greatly on its stage and conditions. Autophagy inhibits the progress of preneoplastic damage during the initial phase. However, autophagy encourages tumor formation during the development phase. Several studies have reported that both a tumor-promoting and a tumor-suppressing function of autophagy in cancer that is likely cell-type dependent. However, autophagy is dispensable for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth, and clinical trials with autophagy inhibitors, either alone or in combination with other therapies, have had limited success. Autophagy’s dual mode of action makes it therapeutically challenging despite autophagy inhibitors providing increased longevity in medical studies, highlighting the need for a more rigorous review of current findings and more precise targeting strategies. Indeed, the role of autophagy in PC is complicated, and numerous factors must be considered when transitioning from bench to bedside. In this review, we summarize the evidence for the tumorigenic and protective role of autophagy in PC tumorigenesis and describe recent advances in the understanding of how autophagy may be regulated and controlled in PDAC. Full article
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