Disrupting Notch pathway reduces chances of breast cancer metastasis to bone.

In order for cancers to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body,) they often take advantage of the body’s normal signaling pathways.  The Notch-signally pathway is very important in embryonic development, but its aberrant activity has been linked to tumor development. Researchers at Princeton University have discovered that abnormal Notch pathway activity also correlates with a higher incidence of breast cancer metastasis to bone. Jagged1 is a component of the Notch pathway, and these same Princeton scientists determined that inhibitors  of Jagged1 role reduce the chances of bone metastasis.