D'Agati et al. (2019) recently demonstrated that although brachyury (tbxt) overexpression did not have a tumour-initiating potential to transform notochord cells, when the authors tested RTK, including EGFR, they were able to trigger notochord hyperplasia, suggesting RTK signalling as a possible initiating event in chordoma. The gene discussed is TBX1; the disease is chordoma.