Discovery of an epigenetic regulator of tumorigenesis suggests new strategies against lethal forms of breast cancer

Scientists have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which a protein called CBX8 promotes tumor growth in the most lethal forms of breast cancer. The study underscores the need for cancer researchers to pay more attention to ‘epigenetic’ factors, meaning chemical and biological processes that control gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence of the cells that are running amok.