Ghent University, Belgium's oldest and largest public university, undertook the research in collaboration with Imperial College London and the US National Human Genome Research Institute.
MS was used to identify a chaperone molecule, HSP90-alpha, as one of the biologically active substances that promotes invasive growth in breast cancers.
The finding was part of scientists' efforts to prove that Rab27B, part of a family of guanosine triphosphate binding enzymes, promotes invasiveness of breast cancer tumours.
According to their discoveries, increased expression of Rab27B "is associated with poor prognosis in humans".
However, derailing the exocytosis - the release of vesicle content - associated with Rab27B can help to regulate invasive tumour growth and metastasis in some breast cancers.
The scientists conclude that "considerable therapeutic potential" lies in the future development of Rab27B as an avenue for cancer treatments.
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