Beside the tumor suppressing function, REST is also a key player in regulation of transdifferentiation of epithelial malignancies: It was previously shown that downregulation of REST in hormone refractory prostate cancer and small cell lung cancer caused a transdifferentiation towards a neuroendocrine tumor state with expression of neuroendocrine markers like Synaptophysin56,57. This evidence concerns the gene REST and small cell lung carcinoma.