DCC: linking tumour suppressor genes and altered cell surface interactions in cancer?

The Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene is a candidate tumour suppressor gene encoding a neural cell adhesion molecule-like transmembrane protein. Over the last year, data supporting DCC inactivation in multiple tumour types have continued to accumulate. Functional studies suggest that DCC may participate in signalling pathways that regulate cell proliferation and/or differentiation, two cellular processes that often go awry during tumorigenesis.