Early studies have suggested that mouse and human Drg1 interacts in vitro and in vivo with the oncogenic T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Tal1/Scl) protein, a basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor involved in cell growth and differentiation (20,21). The gene discussed is TAL1; the disease is T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.