EurekAlert -- Australian scientists have identified a way to ‘switch off’ a molecule, a key player in the molecular processes that trigger breast cancer and certain forms of leukaemia. The molecule, known as Gab2, operates downstream of a major breast cancer oncogene, HER2, the target of the drug Herceptin. A research team from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, led by Professor Roger Daly, has found a novel way of blocking signals to and from Gab2, preventing it from fulfilling its role in cell proliferation. The finding is published online today in the EMBO Journal.