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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2012; 18(45): 6537-6540
Published online Dec 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i45.6537
Anti-tumor immunity, autophagy and chemotherapy
Györgyi Műzes, Ferenc Sipos
Györgyi Műzes, Ferenc Sipos, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, 1088 Budapest, Hungary
Author contributions: Műzes G and Sipos F contributed equally to writing, editing and revising of this paper.
Correspondence to: Györgyi Műzes, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunology and Internal Medicine, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Szentkirályi street 46, 1088 Budapest, Hungary. muzes.gyorgyi@med.semmelweis-univ.hu
Telephone: +36-12-660926 Fax: +36-12-660816
Received: August 18, 2012
Revised: October 25, 2012
Accepted: November 6, 2012
Published online: December 7, 2012
Abstract

Autophagy or self-digestion of cells is activated upon various stressful stimuli and has been found to be a survival and drug resistance pathway in cancer. However, genetic studies support that autophagy can act as a tumor suppressor. Furthermore, defective autophagy is implicated in tumorigenesis, as well. The precise impact of autophagy on malignant transformation has not yet been clarified, but recent data suggest that this complex process is mainly directed by cell types, phases, genetic background and microenvironment. Relation of autophagy to anticancer immune responses may indicate a novel aspect in cancer chemotherapy.

Keywords: Cancer, Autophagy, Chemotherapy, Antitumor immunity, Cell death