Studies examining the molecular signature of brain-specific metastasis have identified α-2, 6-sialyltransferase ST6GALNAC5 (also known as α-N-acetylgalactosaminide), which is overexpressed in brain-trophic, but not in lung- or bone-trophic, metastasized cancer cells16. This evidence concerns the gene ST6GALNAC5 and cancer.