LIFR protein suppresses metastasis.

• Position: Breast Cancer - Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor - Brief article

A receptor protein suppresses local invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells, the most lethal aspect of the disease. Reporting in Nature Medicine, a research team describes using high-throughput RNA sequencing to identify the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) as a novel suppressor of breast cancer metastasis, the spread of the disease to other organs.

"Lack of clinically proven prognostic markers and therapeutic agents for metastasis are major barriers for eradicating breast cancer deaths," says oncologist and lead investigator Li Ma. "Although many metastasis-promoting genes have been identified, they have not been translated into clinical practice. The exceptions are the HER2- and VEGF-targeting agents, which have shown measurable--but moderate--benefit in the clinic."

Just a few genes have been established as metastasis suppressors, and many researchers believe that such genes play only a minor role. The investigators in this study, however, found that LIFR is "highly relevant in human tumors." While 94% of normal human breast tissues show...