TIAL1 and neurofibromatosis: In human cells, TIA proteins regulate the transcription, splicing, stability and/or translation of many genes associated with the hallmarks of cancer.21 Thus, the aberrant expression of TIA proteins could facilitate the acquisition of oncogenic phenotypes.21 Accordingly, mice with disruption in the tiar gene develop ovarian sex cord stromal tumors.23 Further, TIA proteins regulate alternative splicing of WT144 and NF145 tumor suppressor genes, implicated in development of childhood kidney cancer, neurofibromatosis and juvenile leukemia, respectively.