Targeting the lysosome in cancer

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1371; no. 1; pp. 45 - 54
• Main Authors: Piao, Shengfu, Amaravadi, Ravi K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cancer; cancer therapy; Cell Death; Crosstalk; Drug resistance; Endocytosis; Endosomes - metabolism; Humans; Intracellular Membranes - metabolism; lysosome; Lysosomes; Lysosomes - metabolism; Macromolecules; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms - pathology; Organelles; Pathophysiology; Permeability; Phagocytosis; Protein turnover; cancer therapy; apoptosis; autophagy; drug resistance; cell death; lysosome
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12953

Lysosomes are membrane‐bound intracellular organelles that receive macromolecules delivered by endocytosis, phagocytosis, and autophagy for degradation and recycling. Over the last decade, advances in lysosome research have established a broad role for the lysosome in the pathophysiology of disease. In this review, we highlight the recent discoveries in lysosome biology, with an emphasis on their implications for cancer therapy. We focus on targeting the lysosome in cancer by exploring lysosomal biogenesis and its role in the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy. We also discuss how lysosomal inhibition could emerge as a new therapeutic strategy to overcome drug resistance in cancer.