The link between Smad4 and TGFβ1-dependent autophagy that we observed in NSCLC cells was consistent with studies investigating TGFβ-dependent autophagy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines (Liang et al., 2020) and breast cancer cell lines (Cheng et al., 2018). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD4 and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.