Furthermore, both NQDI-1, a known ASK1 inhibitor, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of ASK1, substantially attenuated the increased phosphorylation of HSP27 (indicator of p38 activation) in FKBP9-overexpressing SF-539 and T98G cells (Fig. 5i, j and Additional file 3: Figure S3c), indicating that FKBP9 expression induced the activation of p38MAPK in GBM cells at least in part through ASK1. The gene discussed is MAP3K5; the disease is glioblastoma.