It is important to highlight that although HIPK2 can protect healthy tissue against tumour initiation by promoting both DNA repair17, 22 and cytoprotection (shown in this study), activation of the same pro-survival pathways in malignant tissue could lead to aberrant cell survival and enhanced chemoresistance (see model in Figure 4), particularly when apoptotic pathways are impaired (that is, in the absence of a functional p53). Here, HIPK2 is linked to neoplasm.