Autophagy and cancer cell metabolism

► Many tumor-associated conditions, including hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, oxidative stress, fast growth and cell death suppression, modulate both cellular metabolism and autophagy. ► In cancer cells, metabolism and autophagy are intertwined in a continuous cycle, as altered metabolic pathways stimulate autophagy, which in turn promotes tumor cell growth and proliferation by supporting its metabolism. ► Elucidating the interplay between autophagy and tumor cell metabolism will provide unique opportunities to identify new therapeutic targets and develop synthetically lethal treatment strategies that preferentially target cancer cells.