Department of Pathology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning 116044, P.R. China.
Int J Oncol. 2018 Apr;52(4):1057-1070. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4270. Epub 2018 Feb 8.
Autophagy is a key catabolic process, in which cytosolic cargo is engulfed by the formation of a double membrane and then degraded through the fusing of autophagosomes with lysosomes. Autophagy is a constitutively active, evolutionarily conserved, catabolic process important for the maintenance of homeostasis in cellular stress responses and cell survival. Although the mechanisms of autophagy have not yet been fully elucidated, emerging evidence suggests that it plays a dual role in breast cancer and in maintaining the activity of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, it may play a complex role in breast CSC therapy. Breast CSCs, a population of cells with the ability to self-renew, differentiate, and initiate and sustain tumor growth, play an essential role in cancer recurrence, anticancer resistance and metastasis. In addition, the elucidation of the association between autophagy and apoptosis in the tumor context is crucial in order to better address appropriate therapy strategies. In the present review, a summary of the mechanisms and roles of autophagy in breast cancer and CSCs is presented. The potential value of such autophagy modulators in the development of novel breast cancer therapies is discussed.
自噬是一种关键的分解代谢过程，其中细胞质货物通过形成双层膜被吞噬，然后通过自噬体与溶酶体融合进行降解。自噬是一种持续活跃的、进化上保守的分解代谢过程，对于细胞应激反应和细胞存活中的内稳态维持很重要。尽管自噬的机制尚未完全阐明，但新出现的证据表明，它在乳腺癌和维持乳腺癌干细胞（CSC）的活性中起双重作用。然而，它在乳腺癌 CSC 治疗中可能起复杂的作用。乳腺癌干细胞是一类具有自我更新、分化和启动及维持肿瘤生长能力的细胞群体，在癌症复发、抗癌耐药和转移中起着至关重要的作用。此外，在肿瘤环境中阐明自噬与细胞凋亡之间的关联对于更好地解决适当的治疗策略至关重要。在本综述中，总结了自噬在乳腺癌和 CSC 中的机制和作用。讨论了这种自噬调节剂在开发新型乳腺癌治疗方法中的潜在价值。
