Although many of the thrombopoietic cytokines such as TPO, IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF have been associated with autophagy in MK or other cell types (131, 172) it remains unknown if, through deregulation in cancer, autophagy is central to promoting platelet production and thus sustaining a vicious cycle between malignancy and thrombopoiesis. Here, TPO is linked to cancer.