A previous report showed that both autophagosome formation and autophagic flux were enhanced in mammospheres derived from breast cancer cell lines and primary tumors, while the size and number of mammospheres were decreased when autophagy was blocked by 3-MA, BafA1, CQ, or when essential autophagy genes, like ATG7 and BECN1, were knocked down [15]. The gene discussed is BECN1; the disease is breast cancer.