ATG16L1 and Cowden disease: Recent genome-wide association studies have revealed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in autophagy-associated genes, including ATG16L1 (autophagy-related 16 like 1) T300A, IRGM (immunity related GTPase M), and NOD2 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2) L1007fsinsC variants, are risk factors for CD [3].