Molekulare und genetische Medizin

Autophagy: A New Horizon in Cancer Research

Abstract

Gebril SM, Abdelaal UM and Abu-Deif EE

Oncophagy (cancer–autophagy interplay) became a focus of interest after awarding Yoshinori Ohsumi the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work elucidating the mechanism of autophagy. One of the interesting hot spots in the research work is the growing evidence of the fundamental role of autophagy in cancer. Autophagy is degradation process, intimately intertwined with cellular metabolism, stress, genetic instability and cellular death. Autophagy modulation could be a therapeutic rational for emerging cancer. We aim by this mini-review to precise the role of autophagy in carcinogenesis whether it is with or against.