Figure 8. Summary of the interactions between LSD1 and p62.

Increased LSD1 expression in cancer cells destabilizes the p62 protein. This may result in a reduced interaction between p62 and LC3, which ultimately suppresses autophagy and promotes tumorigenesis. Inhibition of LSD1 either by RNA silencing or LSD1 inhibitors suppresses cell proliferation, increases p62 levels, and activates autophagy. Although autophagy activation may promote cancer resistance to chemotherapy, this can be overcome by a combination of LSD1 inhibitors and p62 silencing.