Contribution of Autophagy to Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition Induction during Cancer Progression

Abstract

Simple Summary This manuscript focuses on the complex relationships between autophagy and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer. Autophagy, a cellular degradation process, and EMT, a mechanism where epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal features, both play significant roles in cancer development. This review aims to explore how these processes interact, particularly how autophagy impacts cancer cell fate during EMT. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to a better understanding of cancer biology and could potentially impact cancer treatment strategies, as both autophagy and EMT are considered targets for therapy.Abstract Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a dedifferentiation process implicated in many physio-pathological conditions including tumor transformation. EMT is regulated by several extracellular mediators and under certain conditions it can be reversible. Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in which intracellular components such as protein/DNA aggregates and abnormal organelles are degraded in specific lysosomes. In cancer, autophagy plays a controversial role, acting in different conditions as both a tumor suppressor and a tumor-promoting mechanism. Experimental evidence shows that deep interrelations exist between EMT and autophagy-related pathways. Although this interplay has already been analyzed in previous studies, understanding mechanisms and the translational implications of autophagy/EMT need further study. The role of autophagy in EMT is not limited to morphological changes, but activation of autophagy could be important to DNA repair/damage system, cell adhesion molecules, and cell proliferation and differentiation processes. Based on this, both autophagy and EMT and related pathways are now considered as targets for cancer therapy. In this review article, the contribution of autophagy to EMT and progression of cancer is discussed. This article also describes the multiple connections between EMT and autophagy and their implication in cancer treatment.