ULK1 and cancer: Therefore, it suggested that the activation of ULK1 to induce autophagy and thus inhibit tumor growth could be an effective treatment strategy for some cancers.209,218 Zhang et al. found a ULK1 activator, LYN-1604, through silico screening and chemical synthesis, which targeted ULK1 and interacted with activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), RAD21, and caspase 3 to induce autophagy-dependent cell death.