NEU3 appears to be indispensable for the survival of cancer cells, since small interfering RNA-mediated knock down of NEU3 in cancer cell lines leads to decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation and the suppression of Ras and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which in turn results in apoptosis of the cells [21]. This evidence concerns the gene EGFR and cancer.