SQSTM1 and infection: While study [5] demonstrated that dead but not viable M. leprae induced xenophagy in THP-1 cells, but not in a multiplicity of infection (MOI)-dependent manner, in study [23], high autophagic process-related gene expression (RPTOR, ULK2, ATG16L2, ATG10, ATG7, FKBP15, GPSM1, GPSM2, SEC23B, SQSTM1 and LAMP2) was observed in the presence of IFN-γ, as well as high IL-15 secretion.