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 TGFB1 and breast cancer.