{"title":"ULK1's role in cancer progression and its emerging therapeutic potential.","authors":"Jack D Webb, Trevor G Shepherd","doi":"10.1080/15384047.2026.2680347","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Macroautophagy (autophagy) enables cellular stress adaptation by degrading damaged components; ULK1, a serine/threonine kinase, initiates this process in response to nutrient and energy cues. While autophagy is well studied, few investigations have directly tested ULK1 in cancer progression. Emerging functional data across numerous cancers indicate that ULK1 can promote or restrain malignant behavior through both autophagy-dependent and autophagy-independent mechanisms, modulating mitochondrial quality, anoikis escape, invasion, therapy adaptation, and immune visibility. Pharmacology has advanced from early ULK1/2 inhibitors to structure-guided and machine learning-derived inhibitors with improved potency and selectivity. The first clinical agent, DCC-3116, demonstrates on-target engagement with acceptable tolerability and is being evaluated in combinations where therapy induces autophagy. Here, we review ULK1 as a regulator of cancer progression, synthesizing pan-cancer clinical and functional evidence alongside the evolving pharmacology of ULK1 modulation to define the settings in which its targeted inhibition may be most effectively translated.</p>","PeriodicalId":9536,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Biology & Therapy","volume":"27 1","pages":"2680347"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7000,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Cancer Biology & Therapy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15384047.2026.2680347","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/6/17 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Macroautophagy (autophagy) enables cellular stress adaptation by degrading damaged components; ULK1, a serine/threonine kinase, initiates this process in response to nutrient and energy cues. While autophagy is well studied, few investigations have directly tested ULK1 in cancer progression. Emerging functional data across numerous cancers indicate that ULK1 can promote or restrain malignant behavior through both autophagy-dependent and autophagy-independent mechanisms, modulating mitochondrial quality, anoikis escape, invasion, therapy adaptation, and immune visibility. Pharmacology has advanced from early ULK1/2 inhibitors to structure-guided and machine learning-derived inhibitors with improved potency and selectivity. The first clinical agent, DCC-3116, demonstrates on-target engagement with acceptable tolerability and is being evaluated in combinations where therapy induces autophagy. Here, we review ULK1 as a regulator of cancer progression, synthesizing pan-cancer clinical and functional evidence alongside the evolving pharmacology of ULK1 modulation to define the settings in which its targeted inhibition may be most effectively translated.
期刊介绍：
Cancer, the second leading cause of death, is a heterogenous group of over 100 diseases. Cancer is characterized by disordered and deregulated cellular and stromal proliferation accompanied by reduced cell death with the ability to survive under stresses of nutrient and growth factor deprivation, hypoxia, and loss of cell-to-cell contacts. At the molecular level, cancer is a genetic disease that develops due to the accumulation of mutations over time in somatic cells. The phenotype includes genomic instability and chromosomal aneuploidy that allows for acceleration of genetic change. Malignant transformation and tumor progression of any cell requires immortalization, loss of checkpoint control, deregulation of growth, and survival. A tremendous amount has been learned about the numerous cellular and molecular genetic changes and the host-tumor interactions that accompany tumor development and progression. It is the goal of the field of Molecular Oncology to use this knowledge to understand cancer pathogenesis and drug action, as well as to develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer. This includes preventative strategies as well as approaches to treat metastases. With the availability of the human genome sequence and genomic and proteomic approaches, a wealth of tools and resources are generating even more information. The challenge will be to make biological sense out of the information, to develop appropriate models and hypotheses and to translate information for the clinicians and the benefit of their patients. Cancer Biology & Therapy aims to publish original research on the molecular basis of cancer, including articles with translational relevance to diagnosis or therapy. We will include timely reviews covering the broad scope of the journal. The journal will also publish op-ed pieces and meeting reports of interest. The goal is to foster communication and rapid exchange of information through timely publication of important results using traditional as well as electronic formats. The journal and the outstanding Editorial Board will strive to maintain the highest standards for excellence in all activities to generate a valuable resource.
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