Autoimmunity and Carcinogenesis: Their Relationship under the Umbrella of Autophagy

Abstract

The immune system and autophagy share a functional relationship. Both innate and adaptive immune responses involve autophagy and, depending on the disease’s origin and pathophysiology, it may have a detrimental or positive role on autoimmune disorders. As a “double-edged sword” in tumors, autophagy can either facilitate or impede tumor growth. The autophagy regulatory network that influences tumor progression and treatment resistance is dependent on cell and tissue types and tumor stages. The connection between autoimmunity and carcinogenesis has not been sufficiently explored in past studies. As a crucial mechanism between the two phenomena, autophagy may play a substantial role, though the specifics remain unclear. Several autophagy modifiers have demonstrated beneficial effects in models of autoimmune disease, emphasizing their therapeutic potential as treatments for autoimmune disorders. The function of autophagy in the tumor microenvironment and immune cells is the subject of intensive study. The objective of this review is to investigate the role of autophagy in the simultaneous genesis of autoimmunity and malignancy, shedding light on both sides of the issue. We believe our work will assist in the organization of current understanding in the field and promote additional research on this urgent and crucial topic.

Exploring the Interplay of RUNX2 and CXCR4 in Melanoma Progression

“…Tumour cells exploit autophagy as a survival mechanism to adapt to unfavourable microenvironments, such as nutrient deprivation and hypoxia [ 29 ]. This strategy enables cancer cells to maintain high energy levels, mitigate oxidative stress, and evade cell death pathways, ultimately contributing to tumour progression and therapy resistance [ 30 , 31 ].…”

“…In melanoma, a complex role of autophagy has been reported [ 32 ]. Rosenfeldt et al demonstrated that reduced autophagy affects melanoma growth in a manner dependent on the phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) status [ 31 ]. In contrast, Xie et al showed that the deletion of autophagy-related 7 ( Atg7 ) promotes the growth of melanoma cells [ 33 ].…”

Sirtuins Affect Cancer Stem Cells via Epigenetic Regulation of Autophagy

“…The two-faceted relationship between cancer and autophagy is well known, presenting aspects which have been discussed from different angles in several of our articles [147][148][149][150][151][152]. Mammalian cells exploit regulatory processes between SIRTs and autophagy to maintain energetic homeostasis in response to internal and external stimuli.…”

Immune Checkpoint Pathway Expression in Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

“…In the course of both these groups, there are significant disorders of the immune system, which affect not only its proper functioning but also the maintenance of immune homeostasis, the disturbance of which may result in the development of autoimmunity or cancer [31]. Research in recent years points to immunological checkpoints as key elements of the ongoing deregulation.…”