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¹Department of General Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Tehran-Iran
²Student Research Committee, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran
³Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Atieh Hospital, Tehran-Iran
⁴Department of Immunology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Tehran-Iran DOI : 10.5505/tjo.2025.4576 Autophagy is a conserved cellular mechanism that removes cytoplasmic components, such as organelles and proteins, in response to numerous stressors. In cancer, autophagy plays a complex and context-dependent role, where it can either suppress or promote tumor growth, depending on the cancer type, stage, and the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review focuses on the involvement of autophagy in immune responses to tumors and potential therapeutic approaches, emphasizing the intricate interaction among autophagy, tumor cells, and the immune system to target autophagy in cancer treatment. We discuss how autophagy influences tumor immunity, including its impact on immune cell activation, antigen presentation, and immune evasion mechanisms. The review also provides insights into current strategies for targeting autophagy in cancer therapy, including the development of specific inhibitors and potential biomarkers for patient stratification. While autophagy-targeting approaches show promise in preclinical studies, challenges remain in translating these findings into clinical applications. Keywords : Autophagy; checkpoint inhibitors; immunotherapy; tumor microenvironment