Autophagy and Lung Cancer Therapy: Targeted Drug Development and New Emerging Technology

Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, with a significantly higher global incidence and mortality rate than other cancer types. Although chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical removal are commonly used to treat lung cancer, cancer cells often become resistant to conventional cancer therapies due to various mechanisms. In the era of precision medicine, targeted drugs can specifically target cancer cells instead of normal cells, thus offering the advantage of higher efficacy and lower toxicity compared to conventional chemotherapy drugs. In recent years, autophagy has been suggested to play a crucial role in cancers, including lung cancer. Therefore, the discovery of autophagy-related targets and the mechanisms of action of targeted small molecule drugs are of utmost importance, as they could provide promising therapeutic approaches for lung cancer.

This Research Topic aims to provide updates on the identification of novel molecular targets or biomarkers for lung cancer related to autophagy research. It also aims to discuss the recent advances in the development of new technologies for lung cancer diagnosis and novel small molecules or repurposed drug molecules targeting autophagy for the treatment of lung cancer. Additionally, we expect to accelerate the pace of drug development for autophagy and targeted therapies for lung cancer.

We welcome Original Research Articles, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews that highlight the latest advances in research on autophagy and lung cancer therapy. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Identification of novel targets or biomarkers in lung cancer related to autophagy.
• New technologies for lung cancer diagnosis and therapy related to autophagy.
• Drug repurposing study for the treatment of lung cancer related to autophagy.
• Discovery of novel small-molecule drugs targeting autophagy for the treatment of lung cancer.