T-cell-originated protein kinase is overexpressed in highly proliferating normal tissues, foetal tissues and in a wide variety of tumours in vitro, whereas the inhibition of TOPK is shown to lead to apoptosis in breast and melanoma cell lines (Simons-Evelyn et al, 2001; Zhao et al, 2001; Matsumoto et al, 2004; Nandi et al, 2004; Dougherty et al, 2005; Park et al, 2006; Zykova et al, 2006). This evidence concerns the gene PBK and neoplasm.