Caspase 3 and caspase 7 promote cytoprotective autophagy and the DNA damage response during non-lethal stress conditions in human breast cancer cells.

Cell stress adaptation plays a key role in normal development and in various diseases including cancer. Caspases are activated in response to cell stress, and growing evidence supports their function in non-apoptotic cellular processes. A role for effector caspases in promoting stress-induced cytoprotective autophagy was demonstrated in Drosophila, but has not been explored in the context of human cells.