WW domain binding protein 5 (WBP5), a novel upstream regulator of the Hippo pathway17, has been recently associated with a variety of cancers, such as advanced gastric cancer with aggressive lymph node metastasis18, colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability19 and in small cell lung cancers20 where it has been reported to influence tumour growth by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. The gene discussed is TCEAL9; the disease is cancer.