USP7 and familial dilated cardiomyopathy: 111). By collecting myocardial samples from patients with DCM and volunteers in the control group, the researchers found that the protein level of p53 in patients with DCM was associated with the upregulation of herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin specific protease (HAUSP). HAUSP stabilized p53 by removing ubiquitin chains, resulting in increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis (Ref. 112).