Domestic researchers have discovered a mechanism of signaling related to the development and growth of cancer.

A team led by Yonsei University Professor Yook Jong-in said on Wednesday that it discovered the connection between tumor suppressing gene p53 and the Wnt signaling pathway in the development of cancer. The team found microRNA-34 (miR-34) provides the link between the two.

Loss or malfunction of the p53 gene and Wnt signaling have been considered separate critical factors in suppressing or developing cancer, but the team's discovery shows the interaction between the two is actually one signaling system.

Yook's team expects its discovery will contribute to the development of medicines that only target cancerous cells. Their work appeared in the Wednesday edition of Science Signaling.