The role of autophagy in the metabolism and differentiation of stem cells

• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166412
• Publication Date: 2022-04-19T00:22:03Z
• Authors: Maryam Adelipour; Leena Regi Saleth; Saeid Ghavami; Keshav Narayan Al...; Sanjiv Dhingra; Abdolamir Allameh
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Neoplasms; Autophagy; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Homeostasis; Humans; Cell Differentiation; 3. Good health

Autophagy is a very well-coordinated intracellular process that maintains cellular homeostasis under basal conditions by removing unnecessary or dysfunctional components through orderly degradation and recycling. Under pathological conditions, defects in autophagy have been linked to various human disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. The role of autophagy in stem cell proliferation, differentiation, self-renewal, and senescence is well documented. Additionally, cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumorigenesis, metastasis and tumor relapse and several studies have suggested the involvement of autophagy in the maintenance and invasiveness of CSCs. Hence, considering the modulation of autophagy in normal and cancer stems cells as a therapeutic approach can lead to the development or improvement of regenerative and anti-cancer therapies. Accordingly, modulation of autophagy can be regarded as a target for stem cell-based therapy of diseases with abnormal levels of autophagy. This article is focused on understanding the role of autophagy in stem cell homeostasis with an emphasis on the therapeutic potential of targeting autophagy for future therapies.