@article {GhaznaviMOLPHARM-MR-2021-000234, author = {Habib Ghaznavi and Milad Shirvaliloo and Amir Zarebkohan and Zinat Shams and Fateme Radina and Zahra Bahmanpour and Saman Sargazi and Ramin Saravani and ‪Sakine Shirvalilou and Omolbanin Shahraki and Sheida Shahraki and Ziba Nazarlou and Roghayeh Sheervalilour}, title = {Implications of autophagy and apoptosis in tumorgenesis; Possible alterations in autophagy through engineered nanomaterials and their importance in cancer therapy}, elocation-id = {MOLPHARM-MR-2021-000234}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1124/molpharm.121.000234}, publisher = {American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics}, abstract = {Autophagy is a perplexing mechanism through which a living cell can free itself of excess cytoplasmic components by means of certain membranous vesicles or lysosomes filled with degrading enzymes. Upon exposure to external insult or internal stimuli, the cell might opt to activate such pathway through which it can gain control over the maintenance of intracellular components. Despite such appropriateness, autophagy, might also be considered a frailty for the cell, as it has been said to have a rather complicated role in tumorigenesis. In fact, several investigations on tumorigenesis have reported diminished levels of autophagic activity in tumor cells. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a seemingly favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies, as it contributes to survival of such cells. Based on the recent literature, this mechanism might also be activated upon the entry of engineered nanomaterials inside a cell, supposedly protecting the host from foreign materials. In this review, we will discuss the signaling pathways involved in autophagy, and the significance of the mechanism itself in apoptosis and tumorigenesis, while shedding light on possible alterations in autophagy through engineered nanomaterials, and the their potential therapeutic applications in cancer. Significance Statement Autophagy has been said to have a complicated role in tumorigenesis. In the early stages of tumor formation, autophagy appears to be salutary due to its tumor-suppressing effects. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies. This mechanism might be affected upon the entry of nanomaterials inside a cell. Accordingly, therapeutic interventions for modulating autophagy using nanoparticles may sensitize cancerous cells to certain therapies.}, issn = {0026-895X}, URL = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2021/05/14/molpharm.121.000234}, eprint = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2021/05/14/molpharm.121.000234.full.pdf}, journal = {Molecular Pharmacology} }