Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β-mediated activation of ILK and PDK1 is controlled at the transcriptional level (Di-Poi et al, 2002, 2005; Tan et al, 2003) and is closely connected to the decrease of PTEN expression (Han et al, 2005), commonly lost in tumours, including those of ovarian origin (Dinulescu et al, 2005). The gene discussed is PDK1; the disease is neoplasm.