With respect to amino acid metabolism, c‐MYC induces fibroblasts to become dependent upon glutamine for survival (Yuneva et al, 2007); cysteine deprivation triggers programmed necrosis in von Hippel–Lindau (VHL)‐deficient clear‐cell renal cancer cells but not in VHL‐restored counterparts (Tang et al, 2016); and mutation of p53 influences how tumour growth is affected by serine metabolism (Maddocks et al, 2013). The gene discussed is MYC; the disease is neoplasm.