NIPSNAP1 and colorectal carcinoma: However, it could be speculated that, (1) since mitophagy had been linked to drug resistance in CRC and (2) NIPSNAP1 had been shown to affect mitophagy and ROS production in other types of cancer, that mitophagy impairment and elevated ROS production might exist in the TR group due to the lower level of NIPSNAP1, which partially explains their greater sensitivity to nCRT.