Consistently, when TP53del/mut CLL cells, exposed or not to Nutlin-3, were tested for the modulation of the genes previously identified to represent the signature of Nutlin-3 exposed TP53wt/wt CLL cells [32], none of these genes were found to be differentially expressed upon Nutlin-3 exposure (Additional file 2: Figure S3), including the TP53 target genes CDKN1A, BAX and PUMA[32]. This evidence concerns the gene BBC3 and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.