Autophagy control by the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis in cancer and its implication for treatment resistance.

ABSTRACT: A major contributor to cancer mortality is recurrence and subsequent metastatic transformation following therapeutic intervention. Therefore, in order to develop new treatment modalities and improve the efficacy of current ones, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms that promote resistance to therapy in cancer cells. One pathway contributing to therapy resistance is autophagy, a self-digestive process that can eliminate unnecessary or damaged organelles to protect cancer cells from death. We have found that the VEGF-C/NRP-2 axis is involved in the activation of autophagy, which helps cancer cell survival following treatment. Inhibition of mTOR complex 1 activity by this axis is the underlying mechanism for the activation of autophagy. Furthermore, we identified two VEGF-C/

SUBMITTER: Stanton MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3805049 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature