Since DAZL−/− glioma cells were not viable in culture possibly attributed to a crucial role of DAZL or germ cell fate in immortality of tumour cells, U251- DAZL+/−, LN229-DAZL+/− and A172mut- DAZL+/− cells were studied (Additional file 1: Table S2). Here, DAZL is linked to glioma.