Given that IKKɛ regulates IL-17-dependent signaling in lymphocytes, adipocytes and intestinal epithelia (Bulek et al., 2011[3]; Göktuna et al., 2016[19]; Lee et al., 2017[31]), all these observations suggest that TPL2 can be the missing link for connecting IKKɛ to ERK1/2 activation in tumor cells. This evidence concerns the gene MAP3K8 and neoplasm.