We observed that ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels significantly decreased in adipocytes incubated with breast cancer cells and adipocytes overexpressing miRNA-144, while both miRNA-144 knockdown in cultured breast cancer cells and CytoD treatment rescued the reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels in adipocytes cultured with breast cancer cells (Fig. 6e). This evidence concerns the gene MAPK3 and breast cancer.