Figure 2.

Association between autophagy and acquired epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) resistance. Cytoplasmic EGFR contributes to autophagic regulation through its downstream signaling and EGFR mitochondrial translocation modulated by autophagy may be critical for cell survival in certain types of cancer cells. Furthermore, tumor susceptibility gene 101 (Tsg101), HIF-1α, Bcl-2 and miR-221/222 are also involved in the regulation of EGFR and autophagy. All these factors may contribute to the resistance to EGFR-TKIs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.