Open Access

Autophagy in oral cancer: Promises and challenges (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Zhou Li
    • Yao Zhang
    • Jianhua Lei
    • Yunxia Wu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 17, 2024     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2024.5440
  • Article Number: 116
  • Copyright: © Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Autophagy captures damaged or dysfunctional proteins and organelles through the lysosomal pathway to achieve proper cellular homeostasis. Autophagy possesses distinct characteristics and is given recognized functions in numerous physiological and pathological conditions, such as cancer. Early stage cancer development can be stopped by autophagy. After tumor cells have successfully undergone transformation and progressed to a late stage, the autophagy-mediated system of dynamic degradation and recycling will support cancer cell growth and adaptation to various cellular stress responses while preserving energy homeostasis. In the present study, the dual function that autophagy plays in various oral cancer development contexts and stages, the existing arguments for and against autophagy, and the ways in which autophagy contributes to oral cancer modifications, such as carcinogenesis, drug resistance, invasion, metastasis and self-proliferation, are reviewed. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms and functions of autophagy in oral cancer processes, and the most recent findings on the application of certain conventional drugs or natural compounds as novel agents that modulate autophagy in oral cancer are discussed. Overall, further research is needed to determine the validity and reliability of autophagy promotion and inhibition while maximizing the difficult challenge of increasing cancer suppression to improve clinical outcomes.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

December-2024
Volume 54 Issue 6

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Li Z, Zhang Y, Lei J and Wu Y: Autophagy in oral cancer: Promises and challenges (Review). Int J Mol Med 54: 116, 2024.
APA
Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Lei, J., & Wu, Y. (2024). Autophagy in oral cancer: Promises and challenges (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 54, 116. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2024.5440
MLA
Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Lei, J., Wu, Y."Autophagy in oral cancer: Promises and challenges (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 54.6 (2024): 116.
Chicago
Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Lei, J., Wu, Y."Autophagy in oral cancer: Promises and challenges (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 54, no. 6 (2024): 116. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2024.5440