ULK1 and diabetes mellitus: Indeed, knockdown of Risa increases the phosphorylation of ULK1 (Ser757), which contributes to autophagy activation and attenuates insulin resistance.61 Unfortunately, there are still divergent schools of thought regarding what role autophagy has in insulin resistance or diabetes.62, 63 Thus, whether knockdown of Risa can alleviate insulin resistance by promoting autophagy in patients with diabetes requires further exploration.