A study of more than 50 tumour samples and cell lines of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has shown that SOX2 is amplified in approximately 27% of cancers. Several fusion transcripts were also identified, including RLF–MYCL1, although its role in SCLC is unclear. Cell proliferation was suppressed in vitro by silencing SOX2 (using short hairpin RNAs) and MYCL1, which implicates these genes in driving SCLC and suggests a plausible therapeutic strategy.