A protein, called inositol-requiring enzyme 1 — IRE1 — may serve as a key driver in a series of molecular interactions that can both promote and, paradoxically, inhibit tumors in certain types of cancers, such as non-melanoma skin cancers, according to a team of molecular biologists. They add that this pathway’s dual power may make it a tempting target for future research on the design of new types of anti-cancer therapeutics.