Thus, MDM2 and p53 pathways have been proposed as actors in COVID-19 development and cytokines storm, a hypothesis enforced by the proposal that SARS-CoV-2 papain-like-proteases (PLP) could be able to act as an MDM2 stabilizer, as proved for SARS-CoV-1 PLP [8], which has 86% amino-acid homology with SARS-COV-2 PLP [9]. The gene discussed is MDM2; the disease is COVID-19.