Intermittent fasting enhances cancer therapy via autophagy-dependent and independent mechanisms: Evidence and implications

Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) is a lysosomal degradation pathway that clears and recycles cytosolic oncogenic factors, excess lipids, and damaged mitochondria, thereby potentially preventing cancer initiation. Recent studies using in vitro and animal cancer models, as well as clinical investigations in cancer patients, indicate that intermittent fasting exerts beneficial effects, particularly by reducing chemotherapy-related toxicity and slowing tumor growth through multiple mechanisms, including metabolic reprogramming, immune modulation, attenuation of inflammation, and upregulation of autophagy, among others. In this review, we briefly discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying intermittent fasting-mediated cancer prevention and therapy, including the role of autophagy and related clinical implications, highlighting its potential as a valuable adjunct to chemotherapy that warrants further large-scale investigations.