It was found that the silencing of FGL2 expression led to a significant reduction in cells viability and an increase in cells apoptosis, accompanied with a reduced activation in ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK pathway, an important signalling pathway in ccRCC15,16, in ccRCC cells (Fig. 6B–D). The gene discussed is MAPK3; the disease is nonpapillary renal cell carcinoma.