Inhibition of autophagy enhances DENSpm-induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cells in a p53 independent manner.

Purpose: One of the recently developed polyamine (PA) analogues, N ,N-diethylnorspermine (DENSpm), has been found to act as an apoptotic inducer in melanoma, breast, prostate and colon cancer cells. Also, its potential to induce autophagy has been established. Unfolded protein responses and starvation of amino acids are known to trigger autophagy.