Autophagy serves as a mechanism for cells to adapt to stress and avoid cell death.

“inhibition of autophagy, which can only be achieved in a specific way by genetic tricks, will actually sensitize cells to cell death induction. And so, this means that autophagy is a means of adaptation to stress and a technique of the cell to avoid cell death.”

Autophagy is a critical component of the fasting response that helps sensitize cancer cells to treatment by inducing cellular stress.

“autophagy seems to be, you know, at least for this purpose, it seems to be very important, and probably part of the desperate attempt of cancer cells to get what they need from somewhere.”