Lipoic acid blocks autophagic flux and impairs cellular bioenergetics in breast cancer and reduces stemness

Autophagy inhibition is currently considered a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring compound found in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, inhibits breast cancer cell growth; however, the effect of LA on autophagy-mediated breast cancer cell death remains unknown. Our study identified that LA blocks autophagic flux by inhibiting autophagosome-lysosome fusion and lysosome activity which increases the accumulation of autophagosomes in MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells, leading to cell death of breast cancer cells. Interestingly, autophagic flux blockade limits the recycling of cellular fuels, resulting in insufficient substrates for cellular bioenergetics. Therefore, LA impairs cellular bioenergetics by the inhibition of mitochondrial function and glycolysis. We show that LA-induced ROS generation is responsible for the blockade of autophagic flux and cellular bioenergetics in breast cancer cells. Moreover, LA-mediated blockade of autophagic flux and ROS generation may interfere with the regulation of the BCSCs/progenitor phenotype. Here, we demonstrate that LA inhibits mammosphere formation and subpopulation of BCSCs. Together, these results implicate that LA acts as a prooxidant, potent autophagic flux inhibitor, and causes energetic impairment, which may lead to cell death in breast cancer cells/BCSCs.