While, we have demonstrated that increased mTOR activity and suppressed autophagy within the kidneys were induced by diabetes mellitus and restored by MSC administration, we have not yet experimentally evaluated whether the observed effects on autophagy were related to the accumulation of autophagosomes as a result of induced autophagic activity or accumulation due to ineffective lysosomal clearance. The gene discussed is MTOR; the disease is diabetes mellitus.