The WWP2 gene, discovered by scientists from the University of East Anglia, helps cancer cells to move and metastasize, reports Oncogene.
Cells detaching from the primary tumor travel with the flow of blood or lymph throughout the body, metastasizing, for example, in the lymph nodes, bones, brain, liver and lungs. Destroying them is usually much more difficult than the tumor from which they originate.
The WWP2 gene inhibits the effect of the Smad7 inhibitor, which prevents metastasis. Tissue culture experiments have shown that blocking the WWP2 gene can prevent the spread of cancer.
Scientists hope that thanks to the discovery of the properties of the WWP2 gene, in less than ten years they will be able to develop a new generation of anti-cancer drugs (PAP).