MAP4K4 and its murine (Nck-interacting kinase), fly (misshapen) and worm (MIG15) orthologs are evolutionary conserved and control migration of both neurons (Chapman et al. 2008; Poinat et al. 2002; Shakir et al. 2006; Teuliere et al. 2011) and cancer cells (Collins et al. 2006; Wright et al. 2003; Hao et al. 2010; Liang et al. 2008; Liu et al. 2011; Qiu et al. 2012). Here, DEGS1 is linked to cancer.