Autophagy is a cellular process that degrades and recycles damaged organelles and proteins, and the ER plays a role in this process as well. In cancer, ER-mediated autophagy can have dual roles. On one hand, it can promote cell survival by removing damaged organelles and proteins, thus mitigating ER stress. On the other hand, excessive autophagy can lead to cell death. Therefore, modulating autophagy pathways in cancer cells offers another potential therapeutic avenue.
