In addition, a recent in vivo study showed that when genetically modified pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells were transplanted into conditional whole-body ATG5-deficient mice, the transformation of quiescent pancreatic stellate cells to CAFs was attenuated in autophagy-deficient hosts, indicating the critical role of autophagy in CAFs activation.38 The gene discussed is ATG5; the disease is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.