Metastatic outgrowth via the two-way interplay of autophagy and metabolism

Abstract

Metastasis represents one of the most dangerous issue of cancer progression, characterized by intricate interactions between invading tumor cells, various proteins, and other cells on the way towards target sites. Tumor cells, while undergoing metastasis, engage in dynamic dialogues with stromal cells and undertake epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenoconversion. To ensure survival, tumor cells employ several strategies such as restructuring their metabolic needs to adapt to the alterations of the microenvironmental resources via different mechanisms including macroautophagy (autophagy) and to circumvent anoikis—a form of cell death induced upon detachment from the extracellular matrix (ECM). This review focuses on the puzzling connections of autophagy and energetic metabolism within the context of cancer metastasis.