In respect to the mechanisms of resistance to anti-IGF-1R therapies, several studies have implicated cross-talk via alternative epithelial RTKs such as EGFR, IR, platelet-derived growth factor-β and HER2 (refs 7, 8, 9, 10) or non-receptor transmembrane signallers such as integrins34 in cancer cells. The gene discussed is EGFR; the disease is cancer.