In breast cancer cells, loss of α-catenin alone drastically reduces the adhesive force between individual cadherin pairs on adjoining cells, explains the global decline of cell adhesion in human breast cancer cells, and shows that the forced expression of α-N-catenin in cancer cells can restore both higher intercellular avidity and intercellular E-cadherin bond strength [26]. The gene discussed is CDH1; the disease is breast cancer.