BECN1 and Alzheimer disease: Our cell culture data from wildtype human APP overexpressing cell lines demonstrate now that APP overexpression alone does not lead to reduced Becn1 and Pik3c3 levels, leaving the possibility that autophagy disturbance could precede APP/Aβ pathology in vivo, and that the observed reduction of BECN1 in human AD brain tissue is unlikely due to elevated levels of APP or its metabolites alone.