Serum withdrawal triggers EGFR-dependent activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in neuroblastoma cells, inducing the upregulation of P2rx7 gene expression, which in turn promotes the survival/proliferation of cancer cells in the absence of trophic support (Gomez-Villafuertes et al., 2015). The gene discussed is P2RX7; the disease is neuroblastoma.