Cantor says his research has shown that a cancer cell's lifespan may be increased by binding with osteopontin. Since osteopontin is in motion, its binding moves cancer cells throughout the body, allowing it to metastasize--creating secondary cancer tumors, which make the disease more difficult to treat.

Cantor says he thinks crippling cancer cell osteopontin could mean wonders for cancer patients.

"I suspect that approaches based on this model would be much less toxic than chemotherapy," Cantor says.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Cancer cells and disease fighting immune cells called T-cells may appear to have nothing in common--one is a disease and the other fights disease.

However, there is at least one thing they've got--both secrete their own form of osteopontin, Cantor says.

In fact, Cantor says he only began to look at the role osteopontin plays with cancer cells through dedicated research of T-cells. Years ago, Cantor found that osteopontin that was secreted by immune cells travels to infected areas. Once there, osteopontin attracts white blood cells which ingest harmful bacteria and viruses.

Scientists had already discovered that cancer cells produce mass quantities of osteopontin, but they were mystified as to its function, Cantor says.

Cantor proposed and verified that osteopontin which is secreted by cancer cells behaves similarly, drawing the malignancies to all corners of the body just as T-cell osteopontin draws white blood cells to infections.

About eight years ago, the researchers discovered the gene that cancer cells use to make osteopontin. This advance will help them synthesize the proper peptide to block the osteopontin produced by tumors, Cantor says.

The search for the perfect peptide is complicated by the fact that it must not block the activities of the type of osteopontin produced by immune cells. Cantor says additional snags are that the peptide must not be biologically harmful and must be tested on laboratory animals before human trials.

Cantor says he does not want to make predictions about if or when his research will result in practical applications.

"The general rule is that you shouldn't predict anything in research and science," Weber says. "You never know what's going to come out."

Cantor says he hopes that his research with osteopontin inhibitors can be used to fight AIDS, but says that is a longshot.