CELL BIOLOGY: Autophagy and cancer

Levine, Beth

Beth Levine is in the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9113, USA. e-mail: [email protected]

Nature 446(7137):p 745-747, April 12, 2007. | DOI: 10.1038/446745a

Autophagy is the degradation of redundant or faulty cell components. It occurs as part of a cell's everyday activities and as a response to stressful stimuli, such as starvation. Connections with cellular life-and-death decisions and with cancer are now emerging.