Opposing roles for protein tyrosine phosphatases SHP2 and PTPN12 in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. It is a very heterogeneous disease that progresses to metastasis, a usually fatal event. The cellular and biochemical mechanisms orchestrating this progression remain largely elusive. Therefore, the elucidation of the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive networks of cancer cells is fundamental to the development of targeted therapies for this presently incurable disease. We demonstrate a fundamental role for protein-tyrosine phosphatases SHP2 and PTPN12 in breast cancer. These results should lead to important therapeutic advances for the treatment of this disease.