Autophagy promotes the survival of dormant breast cancer cells and metastatic tumour recurrence

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04070-6
• Publication Date: 2018-05-10T10:06:54Z
• Authors: Laura Vera-Ramirez; Suman K. Vodnala; Ryan Nini; Kent W. Hunter; Jeffrey E. Green
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Cell Survival; Science; Mice, Nude; Breast Neoplasms; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal; Autophagy-Related Protein 7; Article; Collagen Type I; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Cell Line, Tumor; Autophagy; Animals; Humans; Cell Proliferation; Adenine; Q; Mitochondria; 3. Good health; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Caspases; Lymphatic Metastasis; Beclin-1; Female; Hydroxychloroquine

Cancer recurrence after initial diagnosis and treatment is a major cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, which results from the metastatic outbreak dormant tumour cells. Alterations in microenvironment can trigger signalling pathways cells leading to their proliferation. However, processes involved long-term survival disseminated BC remain largely unknown. Here we show that autophagy critical mechanism for Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition significantly decreased cell burden mouse human 3D vitro vivo preclinical models dormancy. In experiments identify gene autophagy-related 7 (ATG7) be essential activation. Mechanistically, autophagic flux leads accumulation damaged mitochondria reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting apoptosis.