BECN1 and cancer: For example, monoallelic deletion of the BECN1gene was found in several human cancers, and its loss is actually thought tocontribute to tumorigenesis.11,36,38 In cell lines of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, a mutant KIT-driven cancer,knockdown of BECN1 leads to accumulation of mutant KIT.18 In other cases, the upregulation of autophagy is thought to protect cancercells and promote cancer growth in times of metabolic, hypoxic, and/or cytotoxicstress.