Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in women worldwide. Resistance to drugs and recurrence of the disease are two leading causes of failure in treatment. For a more efficient treatment of patients, the development of novel therapeutic regimes is needed. Recent studies indicate that modulation of autophagy in concert with apoptosis induction may provide a promising novel strategy in breast cancer treatment. Apoptosis and autophagy are two tightly regulated distinct cellular processes. To maintain tissue homeostasis abnormal cells are disposed largely by means of apoptosis. Autophagy, however, contributes to tissue homeostasis and cell fitness by scavenging of damaged organelles, lipids, proteins, and DNA. Defects in autophagy promote tumorigenesis, whereas upon tumor formation rapidly proliferating cancer cells may rely on autophagy to survive. Given that evasion of apoptosis is one of the characteristic hallmarks of cancer cells, inhibiting autophagy and promoting apoptosis can negatively influence cancer cell survival and increase cell death. Hence, combination of antiautophagic agents with the enhancement of apoptosis may restore apoptosis and provide a therapeutic advantage against breast cancer. In this review, we discuss the cross-talk of autophagy and apoptosis and the diverse facets of autophagy in breast cancer cells leading to novel models for more effective therapeutic strategies.

中文翻译：

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乳腺癌中自噬和细胞凋亡的交叉对话：对新疗法的影响？

乳腺癌仍然是全世界女性中最常见的癌症。耐药性和疾病复发是治疗失败的两个主要原因。为了更有效地治疗患者，需要开发新的治疗方案。最近的研究表明，自噬的调节与细胞凋亡的诱导相一致，可能为乳腺癌治疗提供了一种有前景的新策略。细胞凋亡和自噬是两个受到严格调控的不同细胞过程。为了维持组织稳态，异常细胞主要通过细胞凋亡来处理。然而，自噬通过清除受损的细胞器、脂质、蛋白质和 DNA 来促进组织稳态和细胞适应性。自噬缺陷促进肿瘤发生，而在肿瘤形成后，迅速增殖的癌细胞可能依赖自噬来生存。鉴于逃避细胞凋亡是癌细胞的特征之一，抑制自噬和促进细胞凋亡会对癌细胞存活产生负面影响并增加细胞死亡。因此，抗自噬剂与细胞凋亡增强的组合可以恢复细胞凋亡并提供针对乳腺癌的治疗优势。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了自噬和细胞凋亡的交叉对话以及乳腺癌细胞中自噬的不同方面，从而为更有效的治疗策略提供了新的模型。抑制自噬和促进细胞凋亡会对癌细胞存活产生负面影响并增加细胞死亡。因此，抗自噬剂与细胞凋亡增强的组合可以恢复细胞凋亡并提供针对乳腺癌的治疗优势。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了自噬和细胞凋亡的交叉对话以及乳腺癌细胞中自噬的不同方面，从而为更有效的治疗策略提供了新的模型。抑制自噬和促进细胞凋亡会对癌细胞存活产生负面影响并增加细胞死亡。因此，抗自噬剂与细胞凋亡增强的组合可以恢复细胞凋亡并提供针对乳腺癌的治疗优势。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了自噬和细胞凋亡的交叉对话以及乳腺癌细胞中自噬的不同方面，从而为更有效的治疗策略提供了新的模型。