In a recently published study in Nature, a group led by Cédric Blanpain identified Ras homolog family member J (RHOJ) as a key regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated chemoresistance in skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).1 Mechanistically, this study demonstrated that RHOJ promotes DNA repair and replication of EMT tumor cells to assist them in rapidly repairing DNA lesions induced by chemotherapy (Fig. 1). The gene discussed is RHOJ; the disease is skin squamous cell carcinoma.