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Review
. 2021 Aug 2;11(8):781.
doi: 10.3390/life11080781.

The Role of Autophagy Modulated by Exercise in Cancer Cachexia

Julia Windi Gunadi  1   2 , Ariyani Sudhamma Welliangan  3 , Ray Sebastian Soetadji  3 , Diana Krisanti Jasaputra  2   4 , Ronny Lesmana  5   6   7
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Autophagy Modulated by Exercise in Cancer Cachexia

Julia Windi Gunadi et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Cancer cachexia is a syndrome experienced by many patients with cancer. Exercise can act as an autophagy modulator, and thus holds the potential to be used to treat cancer cachexia. Autophagy imbalance plays an important role in cancer cachexia, and is correlated to skeletal and cardiac muscle atrophy and energy-wasting in the liver. The molecular mechanism of autophagy modulation in different types of exercise has not yet been clearly defined. This review aims to elaborate on the role of exercise in modulating autophagy in cancer cachexia. We evaluated nine studies in the literature and found a potential correlation between the type of exercise and autophagy modulation. Combined exercise or aerobic exercise alone seems more beneficial than resistance exercise alone in cancer cachexia. Looking ahead, determining the physiological role of autophagy modulated by exercise will support the development of a new medical approach for treating cancer cachexia. In addition, the harmonization of the exercise type, intensity, and duration might play a key role in optimizing the autophagy levels to preserve muscle function and regulate energy utilization in the liver.

Keywords: aerobic; autophagy; cachexia; cancer; combined exercise; resistance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Autophagy modulation and its correlated effects in cancer cachexia. Cancer and inflammatory cells induce cytokines release which then results in an imbalance of autophagy and other effects in skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and the liver, which eventually lead to cancer cachexia.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Exercise modulates autophagy in the skeletal and cardiac muscles and liver of cancer cachexia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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