AMPK- and p62/SQSTM1-dependent autophagy mediate resveratrol-induced cell death in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Resveratrol (RSV) is an attractive candidate for cancer therapy because of its ability to intervene at different levels in the AMPK/mTOR pathway. Indeed, RSV is unique in its capacity to inhibit both mTOR and S6 kinase and to activate AMPK. Our recent data reveals that RSV triggered autophagic cell death (ACD) in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) cells, via both AMPK activation and JNK-mediated p62/SQSTM1 expression. Here we discuss how resveratrol can mediate ACD in CML cells and the possibility of utilizing the AMPK/mTOR and JNK/p62 pathways via resveratrol to combat CML and other hematopoietic malignancies.