Since several studies have implicated ID proteins, specifically ID2 and ID3, in the mediation and control of cellular responses to oxidative stress [34-36] and our own data showed enrichment of components of the oxidative stress signalling pathway in MIC-inferred ‘targets’ of ID2/ID3 (see Additional file 6: Table S4), we reasoned that the pro-survival functions of ID2/ID3 in CLL cells might play a role in mediating rescue from cell death by accessory adherent cells. The gene discussed is ID1; the disease is B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.