MicroRNA-mediated regulation of autophagy in lung cancer: role in tumourigenesis and chemotherapy resistance.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process that enables cells to degrade and recycle long-lived proteins and damaged organelles, playing an important role in cellular homeostasis and survival under stress. In lung cancer, autophagy has emerged as a key modulator of tumour cell survival and is a significant factor influencing chemotherapy efficacy. However, the contribution of autophagy to chemoresistance remains complex and incompletely understood. Recent studies identify microRNA (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, as critical regulators of autophagy, capable of modulating autophagy-related genes and signalling pathways. Through this regulatory capacity, miRNAs can alter autophagic activity in lung cancer cells, thereby influencing both chemosensitivity and the development of chemoresistance. This review summarises current advances in the understanding of the miRNA-mediated regulation of autophagy in the context of lung cancer, with particular emphasis on its impact on chemotherapy response. Mechanistic insights into how miRNAs govern specific stages of the autophagic process are examined, and the potential for therapeutic intervention targeting the miRNA-autophagy axis to mitigate chemoresistance in lung cancer is discussed.