甘草抗动脉粥样硬化机制的网络药理学研究

利用网络药理学方法探讨甘草在抗动脉粥样硬化中的分子机制。本研究利用中医药系统药理学数据库和分析平台(traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform,TCMSP)分析甘草中的有效活性成分,并获得有效成分的作用靶点。通过Cytoscape软件构建可视化靶点互相作用网络,对网络中的关键靶点进行基因本体(GO)富集分析和KEGG通路富集分析。结果显示甘草中40种有效活性成分的预测靶点共97个,47个靶点与动脉粥样硬化(AS)相关,其中18个是血管保护药物和脂质修饰药物的作用靶点,表明甘草可作为调控AS发展的药物。基于97个预测靶点的GO富集分析,发现甘草可参与多种生物学过程,尤其是应对外源性刺激,以及参与细胞凋亡等过程。通过构建甘草靶点与AS疾病靶点相互作用网络(PPI),确定了AKT1、MAPK3、MAPK1、JUN和CASP3等关键靶点,并对关键靶点进行KEGG富集分析,结果表明甘草主要影响调控细胞增殖、生存以及凋亡的细胞信号转导相关通路,并激活先天免疫相关信号通路,调节炎性细胞因子释放,从而发挥抗动脉粥样硬化作用。甘草具有多成分、多靶点、多途径的作用特点,主要通过PI3K-AKT信号途径、MAPK信号途径、NOD样受体信号通路调控细胞增殖和凋亡,同时发挥免疫调控作用,从而影响动脉粥样硬化的发展,由此可见,甘草可作为动脉粥样硬化疾病治疗的候选中草药。     

新疆榅桲抗动脉粥样硬化“多成分-多靶点”作用机制的网络药理学研究

本文通过网络药理学方法研究新疆榅桲活性成分其作用靶点,并构建成分-靶点-通路网络探讨其抗动脉粥样硬化多成分-多靶点-多通路的作用机制。本文从不同数据库收集得到10个与动脉粥样硬化相关的主要活性成分,预测得到10个主要作用靶点,调控了血管平滑肌细胞增殖、白脂肪细胞分化等生物学功能,参与了PPAR等信号通路,体现了新疆榅桲多成分、多靶点、多通路的作用特点,为阐述其抗动脉粥样硬化的作用机制提供科学依据。     

基于网络药理学、分子对接及实验验证探讨黄柏治疗痛风的作用机制CSCD

采用网络药理学、分子对接和体外细胞实验探讨黄柏抗痛风(gout)的物质基础与潜在作用机制。首先通过TCMSP数据库获得黄柏主要活性成分及其对应作用靶点信息;通过GeneCards、OMIM、TTD数据库获得痛风相关疾病靶点;将黄柏有效成分对应靶点与痛风靶点取交集,借助STRING平台及Cytoscape3.9.0软件,绘制交集基因蛋白互作(PPI)网络图;利用基因注释与分析平台(Metascape)数据库对核心靶点进行基因本体(GO)功能及京都基因与基因组百科全书(KEGG)通路富集分析,通过微生信云平台对富集结果可视化;借助AutoDock Tools软件对核心成分及关键靶点基因进行分子对接,并对核心化学成分抗痛风炎症作用进行实验验证。共筛选出25个黄柏抗痛风活性成分和70个关键交集靶点,PPI网络分析获得5个关键靶点包括蛋白激酶B1(AKT1)、肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)、过氧化物酶体增生激活受体γ(PPARγ)、白介素6(IL-6)、前列腺素内过氧化物合酶(PTGS 2);GO功能和KEGG通路富集显示,黄柏作用于细胞迁移的正向调控、细胞分化的负调控、炎症反应等生物学过程,调控PI3K-Akt、MAPK等信号通路,进而发挥抗痛风作用。分子对接结果显示,黄柏的5个主要活性成分与关键靶点间存在分子结合位点且结合能较强,均小于-5 kcal/mol;体外实验显示核心化学成分对尿酸钠诱导的炎症反应有较好的抑制作用,本研究初步揭示了黄柏具有多种潜在的抗痛风活性成分,其作用机理可能是通过作用于多靶点和多通路来实现的。     

基于UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS和网络药理学探究尖尾芋抗乳腺癌作用机制

本研究通过UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS技术、网络药理学策略探究尖尾芋石油醚部位抗乳腺癌药效物质基础及作用机制,并通过4T1乳腺癌荷瘤小鼠模型验证尖尾芋石油醚部位(petroleum ether fraction of Alocasia cucullata,EAC)体内抗乳腺癌作用及机制。基于UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS数据获取EAC化学成分41个,包括11种芳香类成分、8种萜类成分、5种生物碱类成分、4种脂肪酸类成分、2种香豆素类成分和11种其他类成分;基于鉴定出的化合物通过网络药理学得到556个潜在作用靶点;蛋白互作网络(PPI)分析发现MAPK1、Bcl-2等10个核心靶点,富集分析发现核心靶点可能通过MAPK、PI3K-Akt等细胞凋亡相关信号通路发挥抗乳腺癌作用,并通过分子对接技术验证了毛地黄毒苷配基等活性成分与细胞凋亡相关蛋白pERK、Bcl-2、Bax具有良好的结合能力。抗乳腺癌活性研究结果表明与模型对照组比较,EAC低、中、高剂量组肿瘤生长趋势渐缓,肿瘤质量减少,抑瘤率逐渐增加;EAC中、高剂量组脾脏指数有显著性差异,EAC低剂量组脾脏指数效果不显著(P<0...     

小檗碱对乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞增殖抑制作用及其分子机制研究

本研究的目的是为了探索小檗碱对乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞增殖的影响以及阐明小檗碱促乳腺癌细胞凋亡的分子机制。在实验过程中,我们通过MTT检测小檗碱对乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞增殖的抑制作用,采用Annexin-V/PI染色定量考察小檗碱对肿瘤细胞凋亡的影响,运用Western Blot实验检测肿瘤相关通路蛋白表达来进行研究。实验表明小檗碱对乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞增殖具有抑制作用,使细胞中自噬因子Beclin 1表达增加,诱导细胞自噬泡的形成,导致肿瘤细胞发生凋亡。综上说明小檗碱是通过抑制AKT-mTOR通路,诱导MDA-MB-231细胞的自噬以及凋亡,从而发挥抗肿瘤作用。     

HIV-Tat蛋白诱导神经细胞自噬的研究进展

HIV-Tat蛋白是由HIV-1病毒感染细胞后分泌的反式转录激活因子,在HIV感染神经损害中发挥重要作用,是引起艾滋病相关脑病的重要致病因子。自噬即自我吞噬,主要作用是供给机体营养,但异常自噬则引起细胞死亡。HIV-Tat蛋白可以诱导神经细胞自噬,从而使细胞死亡,但引起自噬的机制及信号转导通路不清楚。本文主要从HIV-Tat蛋白诱导神经细胞自噬的机制、信号转导通路等方面进行综述,旨在为进一步研究HIV-Tat蛋白与细胞自噬的关系及寻找新的治疗药物靶点提供参考。     

细胞自噬与肿瘤

自噬是广泛存在于真核细胞内的一种细胞分解自身构成成分的生命现象.细胞内的双层膜结构与溶酶体结合后其内包裹的受损、变形或衰老细胞器蛋白质等被水解酶类降解.细胞自噬具有多种生理功能,生命体借此维持蛋白质代谢平衡及细胞环境稳定,这一过程在细胞清除废物、结构重建、生长发育调节中发挥重要作用. 细胞自噬也与肿瘤的存活和死亡等过程密切相关. 近年来对细胞自噬的研究有了较大的深入,本文主要对自噬体的形态和发生过程及其分子机制、信号调节通路、自噬研究的检测方法,以及自噬与细胞凋亡和肿瘤发生的关系等方面进行概述,以期较全面地了解细胞自噬作用和最新研究动态.     

基于网络药理学的金盏银盘作用机制研究

本研究应用网络药理学方法分析和预测金盏银盘(Bidens biternata(Lour.) Merr. et Sherff.)中活性成分对应的靶点和作用机制。结合作者前期的研究结果,在收集和筛选金盏银盘中活性成分的基础上,通过TCMSP和PubChem BioActivity Analysis Service分析平台获取对应靶标;与基因本体(Gene Ontology)和信号通路(Pathway)功能富集分析相结合,构建金盏银盘的活性成分-靶点-通路作用网络,分析和探讨金盏银盘的作用机制。结果表明,数据库中筛选出绿原酸、色氨酸、芦丁、奥卡宁等金盏银盘的12个活性成分,发现其主要作用于PTDS2,TNF,TOP2A,PTPN1等58个关键靶点,638个生物学过程(涉及分子功能、细胞组成和生物过程3个部分),113条信号通路(主要包括人类疾病、信号转导、细胞过程、物质代谢等);金盏银盘有抗氧化、抗炎、护肝作用,在炎症相关疾病方面有良好的药理药效活性。通过网络药理学方法对金盏银盘活性成分进行了靶点预测,构建了网络分析图,为进一步深入实验研究金盏银盘的作用提供了参考和借鉴。     

自噬通路中mTOR、Beclin1与肿瘤关系研究的最新进展

自噬是维持细胞存活、分化、生长和稳态所必须的一种溶酶体降解途径(Levine and Kroemer,2008)。最近的大量研究证实自噬与多种肿瘤细胞的恶性转化和肿瘤细胞的生长有关。哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(m TOR)和自噬相关基因Beclin1与细胞自噬关系密切,其可通过调节细胞自噬活性而在肿瘤的发生发展过程中发挥重要的作用。目前,有关肿瘤细胞自噬性死亡的研究受到越来越多人的关注,它很可能成为肿瘤治疗的新靶点。因此,深入研究m TOR、Beclin1在调控自噬过程中与肿瘤的发生发展关系可能对临床上有关肿瘤治疗方面的研究有重要意义。本文现就对自噬通路中m TOR、Beclin1与肿瘤关系的研究进展作一简要概述。     

基于网络药理学分析芪贞元丹治疗动脉粥样硬化的作用机制*

目的: 基于网络药理学方法,探究中药复方芪贞元丹治疗动脉粥样硬化(AS)潜在的作用靶点和分子机制。方法: 查找TCMSP数据库,获得中药复方芪贞元丹中黄芪、女贞子、延胡索、丹参的活性成分和靶点,在OMIM等数据库中检索AS的靶点,使用Cytoscape绘图工具构建分子网络;检索STRING数据库并绘制PPI网络图,获取芪贞元丹治疗AS的关键靶点;并上传至Metascape数据平台对其进行GO和KEGG分析。结果: 芪贞元丹与AS有交集靶点118个,作为干预AS的作用靶点。芪贞元丹对抗AS可能与细胞因子介导、细胞因子受体结合等GO过程相关。KEGG富集结果显示155条通路与AS相关,主要涉及PI3K-Akt、HIF-1、NF-κB通路和炎症性肠病相关通路。结论: 通过网络药理学实验初步揭示芪贞元丹复方治疗AS的作用机制,复方中的槲皮素、山奈酚等活性成分作用于IL-6、PI3K-Akt等靶点,通过抗细胞凋亡、抑制氧化应激、抑制炎症反应等发挥抗AS作用,证明芪贞元丹复方治疗AS是多成分、多靶点、多途径协同作用的过程。     

Targeting protein quality control pathways in breast cancer

The efficient production, folding, and secretion of proteins is critical for cancer cell survival. However, cancer cells thrive under stress conditions that damage proteins, so many cancer cells overexpress molecular chaperones that facilitate protein folding and target misfolded proteins for degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome or autophagy pathway. Stress response pathway induction is also important for cancer cell survival. Indeed, validated targets for anti-cancer treatments include molecular chaperones, components of the unfolded protein response, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and autophagy. We will focus on links between breast cancer and these processes, as well as the development of drug resistance, relapse, and treatment.     

Aiduqing formula suppresses breast cancer metastasis via inhibiting CXCL1-mediated autophagy

BackgroundMetastasis is the most common lethal cause of breast cancer-related death. Recent studies have implied that autophagy is closely implicated in cancer metastasis. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore autophagy-related molecular targets involved in breast cancer metastasis and to develop therapeutic drugs.PurposeThis study was designed to investigate the anti-metastatic effects and autophagy regulatory mechanisms of Aiduqing (ADQ) formula on breast cancer.Study Design/MethodsMultiple cellular and molecular experiments were conducted to investigate the inhibitory effects of ADQ formula on autophagy and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro. Meanwhile, autophagic activator/inhibitor as well as CXCL1 overexpression or interference plasmids were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of ADQ formula in modulating autophagy-mediated metastasis. Furthermore, the zebrafish xenotransplantation model and mouse xenografts were applied to validate the inhibitory effect of ADQ formula on autophagy-mediated metastasis in breast cancer in vivo.ResultsADQ formula significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy but induced apoptosis of high-metastatic breast cancer cells in vitro. Similar results were also observed in starvation-induced breast cancer cells which exhibited elevated metastatic ability and autophagy activity. Mechanism investigations further approved that either CXCL1 overexpression or autophagic activator rapamycin can significantly abrogated the anti-metastatic effects of ADQ formula, suggesting that CXCL1-mediated autophagy may be the crucial pathway of ADQ formula in suppressing breast cancer metastasis. More importantly, ADQ formula suppressed breast cancer growth, autophagy, and metastasis in both the zebrafish xenotransplantation model and the mouse xenografts.ConclusionOur study not only revealed the novel function of CXCL1 in mediating autophagy-mediated metastasis but also suggested ADQ formula as a candidate drug for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.     

Autophagy protects breast cancer cells from epirubicin-induced apoptosis and facilitates epirubicin-resistance development

Epirubicin (EPI) is one of the most effective drugs against cancer. But the acquired resistance of cancer cells to EPI is becoming a major obstacle for successful cancer therapy. Recently, some studies have revealed that macroautophagy (here referred to as autophagy) may protect the cancer cell from anticancer drug-induced death, so autophagy might be related to the development of drug resistance to these reagents. However, the relationship between autophagy and drug resistance has yet to be defined. Our study showed that EPI induced autophagy in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. And the EPI-induced autophagy protected MCF-7 cells from EPI-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy was elevated in EPI-resistant MCF-7 cells (MCF-7er cells), and inhibition of autophagy restored the sensitivity of MCF-7er cells to EPI. Therefore, autophagy is a prosurvival factor and has a role in the development of EPI-acquired resistance in EPI-treated MCF-7 cells. Also, this finding indicates that the use of clinically applicable autophagy inhibitors might be one of the important strategies for breast cancer therapy.     

Autophagy protects breast cancer cells from epirubicin-induced apoptosis and facilitates epirubicin-resistance development

Epirubicin (EPI) is one of the most effective drugs against cancer. But the acquired resistance of cancer cells to EPI is becoming a major obstacle for successful cancer therapy. Recently, some studies have revealed that macroautophagy (here referred to as autophagy) may protect the cancer cell from anticancer drug-induced death, so autophagy might be related to the development of drug resistance to these reagents. However, the relationship between autophagy and drug resistance has yet to be defined. Our study showed that EPI induced autophagy in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. And the EPI-induced autophagy protected MCF-7 cells from EPI-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy was elevated in EPI-resistant MCF-7 cells (MCF-7er cells), and inhibition of autophagy restored the sensitivity of MCF-7er cells to EPI. Therefore, autophagy is a prosurvival factor and has a role in the development of EPI-acquired resistance in EPI-treated MCF-7 cells. Also, this finding indicates that the use of clinically applicable autophagy inhibitors might be one of the important strategies for breast cancer therapy.     

Doxycycline inhibits the cancer stem cell phenotype and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer

Experimental evidence suggest that breast tumors originate from breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), and that mitochondrial biogenesis is essential for the anchorage-independent clonal expansion and survival of CSCs, thus rendering mitochondria a significant target for novel treatment approaches. One of the recognized side effects of the FDA-approved drug, doxycycline is the inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis. Here we investigate the mechanism by which doxycycline exerts its inhibitory effects on the properties of breast cancer cells and BCSCs, such as mammosphere forming efficiency, invasion, migration, apoptosis, the expression of stem cell markers and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers of breast cancer cells. In addition, we explored whether autophagy plays a role in the inhibitory effect of doxycycline on breast cancer cells. We find that doxycyline can inhibit the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells and BCSCs, decrease mammosphere forming efficiency, migration and invasion, and EMT of breast cancer cells. Expression of stem cell factors Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and CD44 were also significantly downregulated after doxycycline treatment. Moreover, doxycycline could down-regulate the expression of the autophagy marker LC-3BI and LC-3BII, suggesting that inhibiting autophagy may be responsible in part for the observed effects on proliferation, EMT and stem cell markers. The potent inhibition of EMT and cancer stem-like characteristics in breast cancer cells by doxycycline treatment suggests that this drug can be repurposed as an anti-cancer drug in the treatment of breast cancer patients in the clinic.     

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers amongst women in North America. Many current anti-cancer treatments, including ionizing radiation, induce apoptosis via DNA damage. Unfortunately, such treatments are non-selective to cancer cells and produce similar toxicity in normal cells. We have reported selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by the natural compound pancratistatin (PST). Recently, a novel PST analogue, a C-1 acetoxymethyl derivative of 7-deoxypancratistatin (JCTH-4), was produced by de novo synthesis and it exhibits comparable selective apoptosis inducing activity in several cancer cell lines. Recently, autophagy has been implicated in malignancies as both pro-survival and pro-death mechanisms in response to chemotherapy. Tamoxifen (TAM) has invariably demonstrated induction of pro-survival autophagy in numerous cancers. In this study, the efficacy of JCTH-4 alone and in combination with TAM to induce cell death in human breast cancer (MCF7) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells was evaluated. TAM alone induced autophagy, but insignificant cell death whereas JCTH-4 alone caused significant induction of apoptosis with some induction of autophagy. Interestingly, the combinatory treatment yielded a drastic increase in apoptotic and autophagic induction. We monitored time-dependent morphological changes in MCF7 cells undergoing TAM-induced autophagy, JCTH-4-induced apoptosis and autophagy, and accelerated cell death with combinatorial treatment using time-lapse microscopy. We have demonstrated these compounds to induce apoptosis/autophagy by mitochondrial targeting in these cancer cells. Importantly, these treatments did not affect the survival of noncancerous human fibroblasts. Thus, these results indicate that JCTH-4 in combination with TAM could be used as a safe and very potent anti-cancer therapy against breast cancer and neuroblastoma cells.     

Photodynamic treatment with anionic nanoclays containing curcumin on human triple-negative breast cancer cells: Cellular and biochemical studies

Photodynamic treatment is a minimally invasive and clinically approved procedure for eliminating selected malignant cells with activation of a photosensitizer agent at a specific light. Little is known, however, about the phototoxic properties of curcumin, as a natural phenolic compound, against different types of cancers. It is generally accepted that cellular damage occurs during photo treatment. There is a limitation in using of curcumin as a drug due to its low solubility, but nanoparticles such as anionic nanoclays or layered double hydroxide (LDH) could overcome it. The aim of this study was to investigate cellular responses to curcumin-LDH nanoparticles after photodynamic treatment of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. For this purpose, the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line treated with curcumin-LDH nanoparticle and then irradiated (photodynamic treatment). After irradiation, lactate dehydrogenase assay, clonogenic cell survival, cell death mechanisms such as autophagy and apoptosis were determined. Cell cycle distribution after photodynamic therapy (PDT) and also intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were measured. The result showed that curcumin-LDH–PDT has a cytotoxic and antiprolifrative effect on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Curcumin-LDH–PDT induced autophagy, apoptosis, and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cell line. Intracellular ROS increased in MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line after treatment with curcumin-LDH along with irradiation. The results suggest that curcumin-LDH nanoparticle could be considered as a novel approach in the photodynamic treatment of breast cancer.     

PLAC8 promotes adriamycin resistance via blocking autophagy in breast cancer

Adriamycin (ADM) is currently one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer treatment. However, growing resistance to ADM could lead to treatment failure and poor outcome. PLAC8 was reported as a novel highly conserved protein and functioned as an oncogene or tumour suppressor in various tumours. Here, we found higher PLAC8 expression was correlated with worse outcome and aggressive phenotype in breast cancer. Breast cancer patients with higher PLAC8 expression showed potential ADM resistance. In vitro experiments further confirmed that PLAC8 inhibited by siRNA or enforced overexpression by infecting pcDNA3.1(C)-PLAC8 plasmid correspondingly decreased or increased ADM resistance. Subsequently, we demonstrated that ectopic PLAC8 expression in MCF-7/ADMR cell blocked the accumulation of the autophagy-associated protein LC3 and resulted in cellular accumulation of p62. Rapamycin-triggered autophagy significantly increased cell response to ADM, while the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA enhanced ADM resistance. 3-MA and PLAC8 could synergistically cause ADM resistance via blocking the autophagy process. Additionally, the down-regulation of p62 by siRNA attenuated the activation of autophagy and PLAC8 expression in breast cancer cells. Thus, our findings suggest that PLAC8, through the participation of p62, inhibits autophagy and consequently results in ADM resistance in breast cancer. PLAC8/p62 pathway may act as novel therapeutic targets in breast cancer treatment and has potential clinical application in overcoming ADM resistance.     

RTN4对于结肠癌细胞增殖的调控作用

2018年全球癌症统计调查显示,结直肠癌约占患癌新病例的12.1%。因此,寻找新的结肠癌发生有关的基因,发现新的治疗靶点显得尤为迫切。通过数据库分析发现,RTN4基因的表达水平与结肠癌患者生存率的相关性具有统计学意义。针对RTN4基因构建其干扰质粒,将慢病毒作为载体转染结肠癌HCT116细胞中构建敲低RTN4的结肠癌细胞系,最后检测了低表达后RTN4基因的细胞增殖。结果发现,敲低RTN4基因后显著促进了结肠癌细胞HCT116的增殖,研究通过Western blot观察敲低RTN4后HCT116细胞自噬通路相关蛋白p62和LC3的表达情况,发现与对照组相比较,敲低RTN4组LC3转化量（LC3-II/LC3-I）增多,而p62蛋白减少。研究分析了RTN4的潜在抑癌作用,发现敲低RTN4基因会显著增强结肠癌细胞的增殖能力,并且诱导自噬,说明RTN4可能与激活LC3/p62自噬途径有关。     

Autophagy and cancer cell metabolism

Autophagy is a catabolic process involving lysosomal turnover of proteins and organelles for maintenance of cellular homeostasis and mitigation of metabolic stress. Autophagy defects are linked to diseases, such as liver failure, neurodegeneration, inflammatory bowel disease, aging and cancer. The role of autophagy in tumorigenesis is complex and likely context-dependent. Human breast, ovarian and prostate cancers have allelic deletions of the essential autophagy regulator BECN1 and Becn1(+/-) and other autophagy-deficient transgenic mice are tumor-prone, whereas tumors with constitutive Ras activation, including human pancreatic cancers, upregulate basal autophagy and are commonly addicted to this pathway for survival and growth; furthermore, autophagy suppression by Fip200 deletion compromises PyMT-induced mammary tumorigenesis. The double-edged sword function of autophagy in cancer has been attributed to both cell- and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms, as autophagy defects promote cancer progression in association with oxidative and ER stress, DNA damage accumulation, genomic instability and persistence of inflammation, while functional autophagy enables cancer cell survival under stress and likely contributes to treatment resistance. In this review, we will focus on the intimate link between autophagy and cancer cell metabolism, a topic of growing interest in recent years, which has been recognized as highly clinically relevant and has become the focus of intense investigation in translational cancer research. Many tumor-associated conditions, including intermittent oxygen and nutrient deprivation, oxidative stress, fast growth and cell death suppression, modulate, in parallel and in interconnected ways, both cellular metabolism and autophagy to enable cancer cells to rapidly adapt to environmental stressors, maintain uncontrolled proliferation and evade the toxic effects of radiation and/or chemotherapy. Elucidating the interplay between autophagy and tumor cell metabolism will provide unique opportunities to identify new therapeutic targets and develop synthetically lethal treatment strategies that preferentially target cancer cells, while sparing normal tissues.