Moreover, hyperactivation of autophagy exacerbates muscle atrophy induced by a myriad of naturally occurring and experimentally manipulated conditions, including cancer cachexia, fasting, sepsis, critical illness, cirrhosis, chemotherapy, disuse, denervation, COPD, constitutively active FoxO3, and by oxidative stress resulting from a mutation in superoxide dismutase (SOD1G93A), a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The gene discussed is FOXO3; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.