MetaMol’s Breast Cancer Program
Targeting Osteopontin-C to Diagnose Risk and Suppress Metastasis
MetaMol’s initial program builds on foundational discoveries by Georg F. Weber and collaborators identifying a tumor-specific splice variant of osteopontin - Osteopontin-c (hOPNc) – as a functional driver of metastatic competence.
Diagnostic Opportunity
A High-Specificity Biomarker
The tumor-restricted expression of hOPNc creates a rare opportunity:
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Present in the majority of tumors
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Absent in normal breast tissue
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Mechanistically linked to metastasis
These features support the development of:
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A diagnostic biomarker of tumor invasiveness
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A stratification tool for identifying progression-risk patients
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A potential circulating biomarker reflecting the presence of metastatic cells
Because hOPNc expression correlates with anchorage independence, it may provide molecular insight beyond tumor size or histologic grade.
The Biology
Osteopontin-c is a
Tumor-Specific Driver
Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted protein involved in immune signaling and tissue remodeling. Only tumor cells produce distinct splice variants with altered functional properties.
Among these, hOPNc has emerged as uniquely significant in breast cancer. Published findings indicate:
hOPNc is present in approximately 75–80% of breast cancers
hOPNc in premalignant lesions prognosticates cancer risk
It is absent from normal breast tissue
It promotes anchorage-independent survival, the core need for metastatic
dissemination
Cancer cells must survive detachment from the extracellular matrix in order to circulate and colonize distant organs. Cells lacking this ability undergo programmed cell death. Cells expressing hOPNc acquire resistance to detachment-induced apoptosis, enabling systemic spread. This positions hOPNc not merely as a marker of disease – but as a functional driver of metastatic competence.