The findings have important implications for forecasting breast cancer outcomes. According to the researchers, signs of ZBP1 silencing in breast cancer cells would indicate that a breast tumor is likely to spread?”?information that would help in choosing a treatment strategy.

The study also points to potential targets for drug treatment. "If you could turn on this protein in cancer cells, or prevent it from being turned off, you could seriously reduce the ability of the cells to metastasize," says Dr. Singer.

The research team is investigating whether the ZBP1 gene in cancer cells could be reactivated - and the cells prevented from metastasizing?”?by selectively removing CH3 from the ZBP1 promoter.

The paper, "Increased proliferation and migration of breast metastatic cells results from ZBP1 repression by blocking beta-catenin promoter binding," is published in the May 20, 2009, online edition of the Journal of Cell Science. Wei Gu, M.D., Ph.D., instructor in anatomy and structural biology at Einstein, is the lead author. Feng Pan, Ph.D., now at NYU School of Medicine, is a co-author.

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