Paradoxically, a low level of ER photo-stress mediated by hypericin-PDT leads to the opposite role of the autophagy process (i.e., pro-survival), via downregulation of AKT/mTOR signaling in HeLa tumor cells, which enhances PDT-mediated death by 50% after negative modulation of autophagy (e.g. ATG5 siRNA or 3-MA) (60). This evidence concerns the gene MTOR and neoplasm.