Importantly, this new oncogenic activity of WIP1 seems to be p53 independent, as WIP1 inhibited p38 phosphorylation and enhanced stemness-related protein expression and CSC properties, and the WIP1 inhibitor GSK2830371 reduced the expression of stemness-related transcription factors and the cancer stemness marker ALDH1 in H1299 cells with homozygous deletion of the TP53 gene (Figs. 2a, d–f and 5g). The gene discussed is PPM1D; the disease is cancer.