We confirmed that the CA-Cis combination activates autophagy through the AMPKα-ULK1 pathway in both tumor and non-tumor tissues and differentially regulates phosphorylation at serine 757 of ULK1, this differentiation can dramatically modulate autophagy activity, thereby mediating context-dependent dual outcomes of autophagic protection and detrimental effects. Here, ULK1 is linked to neoplasm.