Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Aug 10, 2014; 5(3): 224-240
Published online Aug 10, 2014. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.224
Published online Aug 10, 2014. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.224
Targeting autophagy in breast cancer
Paola Maycotte, Andrew Thorburn, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
Author contributions: Maycotte P wrote the manuscript; Thorburn A critically reviewed the manuscript; both authors discussed implications and commented on the manuscript at all stages.
Supported by NIH, No. CA150925; in part by a research grant from the Cancer League of Colorado, Inc. (PM)
Correspondence to: Andrew Thorburn, Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Mail Stop 8303, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States. andrew.thorburn@ucdenver.edu
Telephone: +1-303-7243290 Fax: +1-303-7243664
Received: January 7, 2014
Revised: April 2, 2014
Accepted: May 29, 2014
Published online: August 10, 2014
Processing time: 206 Days and 11.8 Hours
Revised: April 2, 2014
Accepted: May 29, 2014
Published online: August 10, 2014
Processing time: 206 Days and 11.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Autophagy is thought to be a tumor suppressor pathway. However, once a tumor is formed, it may contribute to tumor cell survival in response to metabolic stress or to therapy. On the other hand, it has also been suggested that autophagy could be induced during breast cancer therapy to kill cells that avoid apoptosis. Here, we discuss some of the recent findings relating autophagy and cancer with a particular focus on breast cancer therapy. We conclude that there are important unresolved questions that should be addressed before autophagy can be successfully targeted for breast cancer treatment.