When Cells Suffocate: Autophagy in Cancer and Immune Cells under Low Oxygen

Figure 4

Proposed roles of autophagy under hypoxia in tumor immunology. Autophagy induction may improve phagocytosis maturation by enhancing degradation of tumor cells by innate immune cells. Autophagy aids in both the cross presentation of exogenous antigens on MHC class I and presentation of endogenous antigens on MHC class II. In T lymphocytes, autophagy enables activation by providing available nutrients from the degradation of macromolecules. It also enables cytotoxic cytokine secretion which enhances tumor cell killing. All cell types, including both immune cells and tumor cells, may utilize autophagy to enhance survival under hypoxic and nutrient deprived conditions.