Beclin-1 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration by being involved in autophagic programmed cell death. Ovarian cancer with upregulated autophagy shows less aggressive behavior and responds better to chemotherapy.
Schizophrenia is associated with low levels of Beclin-1 in the hippocampus of affected individuals, resulting in decreased autophagy, which in turn results in increased neuronal cell death.