From a mechanistic standpoint, the concurrent accumulation of autophagic vesicles consequent to their impaired clearance does not appear to play any significant role in the induction of cell death, since neither pharmacological (3MA) or genetic (sh Atg5) autophagy inhibition, nor supplementation with readily available energy substrates impaired Obatoclax ability to kill thyroid cancer cells. This evidence concerns the gene ATG5 and thyroid gland carcinoma.