New Method for Real-Time Autophagy Studies

摘要

Autophagy is an intracellular process leading to the lysosomal degradation of cytosolic components and organelles. Its best understood role is in cellular housekeeping; this activity directs the removal of damaged or unwanted products [1]. However, autophagy can also be induced in response to cancer therapies, when autophagy functions as a survival mechanism and thus potentially limits drug efficacy [2,3], In established tumours, malignant progression and tumour maintenance have been linked to physiological adaptations resulting in upregulated or constitutively active autophagic pathways [2]. In addition, there are many stimuli that have been shown to activate autophagy, including nutrient starvation, reactive oxygen species [4], stress on the endoplasmic reticulum, and ammonia [5].