Autophagy is a cellular self-degradation process, which plays an important role in cellular metabolic homeostasis, by eliminating malfunctioning proteins and damaged organelles in order to regenerate new, healthier cells. The metabolites obtained from this process maintain the genetic stability and survival of the tumor cell by promoting pharmacological resistance. However, in neoplastic disease, autophagy can also induce tumor suppressor mechanisms, by activating cell death after damage from exposure to anti-cancer agents. From what has been explained above, it can be understood how the targeting of autophagy is a contradictory phenomenon, as it can either suppress or promote cancer cell survival. The importance of the knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy, along with the potential opportunities presented by newly emerging nanocarriers and nanomaterials suitable for bypassing developed cellular resistance, makes this topic particularly interesting.
This Research Topic aims to attract scientific articles focusing on the preparation and application of novel nanomedicines capable of modulating autophagy processes, and/or uncovering new understandings relating to the autophagy signaling pathways in cancer cells. The ability of these nanomaterials to modulate autophagy in cancer cells remains to be fully understood, but could eventually lead to them becoming used as anti-cancer agents themselves, in combination therapies to either enhance the modulation of autophagy in cancer cells or to aid in overcoming developed cellular resistance. This topic aims to draw a clearer picture for both clinicians and translational researchers alike on this emerging issue, and would provide new insights into the uses of nanomedicines in the modulation of autophagy in cancer cells.
In this Research Topic we encourage submission of original articles and comprehensive reviews focusing on understanding the biological and cellular processes of autophagy modulation, and how to make use of smart nanomaterials to enhance these effects on autophagy in cancer cells, or how they can directly affect cancer cell autophagy. We welcome studies on the following subtopics, but not limited to:
• Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of autophagy modulation using nanomedicine
• New nanomaterials targeting autophagy as pro-apoptotic agents: from chemical characterization to biological evaluation in both in-vitro and in-vivo models.
• Autophagy modulation by using smart nanocarriers as a delivery method for therapeutic agents which may include i) natural compounds, ii) peptides, iii) nucleic acids, iv) gene editing machinery and/or v) standard chemotherapy drugs.
• Optimizing effect of autophagy through modification of the structure of nanomaterials to improve pro-apoptotic effects.
• Pre-clinical and clinical research on nanomedicine targeting autophagy.
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.
Autophagy is a cellular self-degradation process, which plays an important role in cellular metabolic homeostasis, by eliminating malfunctioning proteins and damaged organelles in order to regenerate new, healthier cells. The metabolites obtained from this process maintain the genetic stability and survival of the tumor cell by promoting pharmacological resistance. However, in neoplastic disease, autophagy can also induce tumor suppressor mechanisms, by activating cell death after damage from exposure to anti-cancer agents. From what has been explained above, it can be understood how the targeting of autophagy is a contradictory phenomenon, as it can either suppress or promote cancer cell survival. The importance of the knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy, along with the potential opportunities presented by newly emerging nanocarriers and nanomaterials suitable for bypassing developed cellular resistance, makes this topic particularly interesting.
This Research Topic aims to attract scientific articles focusing on the preparation and application of novel nanomedicines capable of modulating autophagy processes, and/or uncovering new understandings relating to the autophagy signaling pathways in cancer cells. The ability of these nanomaterials to modulate autophagy in cancer cells remains to be fully understood, but could eventually lead to them becoming used as anti-cancer agents themselves, in combination therapies to either enhance the modulation of autophagy in cancer cells or to aid in overcoming developed cellular resistance. This topic aims to draw a clearer picture for both clinicians and translational researchers alike on this emerging issue, and would provide new insights into the uses of nanomedicines in the modulation of autophagy in cancer cells.
In this Research Topic we encourage submission of original articles and comprehensive reviews focusing on understanding the biological and cellular processes of autophagy modulation, and how to make use of smart nanomaterials to enhance these effects on autophagy in cancer cells, or how they can directly affect cancer cell autophagy. We welcome studies on the following subtopics, but not limited to:
• Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of autophagy modulation using nanomedicine
• New nanomaterials targeting autophagy as pro-apoptotic agents: from chemical characterization to biological evaluation in both in-vitro and in-vivo models.
• Autophagy modulation by using smart nanocarriers as a delivery method for therapeutic agents which may include i) natural compounds, ii) peptides, iii) nucleic acids, iv) gene editing machinery and/or v) standard chemotherapy drugs.
• Optimizing effect of autophagy through modification of the structure of nanomaterials to improve pro-apoptotic effects.
• Pre-clinical and clinical research on nanomedicine targeting autophagy.
Important Note: Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in any of the sections of Frontiers in Oncology.