Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by treatment with bafilomycin A1 (Figure 6F) or knockdown of LC3B (Figure 6G) also significantly restored suppression of caspase-7 activity by β-estradiol in MCF-7 cells, thereby confirming that ER signaling negatively regulates apoptosis in breast cancer cells via autophagy induction. This evidence concerns the gene ESR1 and breast cancer.