While inactivation of FMRP family proteins contributes to fragile X syndrome and mental retardation, mining of the data deposited in Oncomine specifically revealed elevated Fxr1 in human cancers (Fig. 3a); in addition, western analysis revealed elevated Fxr1 protein in tumour relative to matched normal tissues in six out of seven samples (Fig. 3b). This evidence concerns the gene FMR1 and neoplasm.