Altogether, these findings suggest that reducing NRF2 pathway in wtp53-carrying cells may unbalance the pro-survival/pro-death axis toward cell death and restore p53 apoptotic activity that indeed is crucial for cancer cell death; on the other hand, reducing NRF2 pathway in p53 null cells did not significantly increase cancer cell death, underlining the critical role of p53 in cell death. This evidence concerns the gene NFE2L2 and cancer.