▁lung ▁cancer , ▁m align ant ▁breast ▁tum ors , ▁o var ian ▁and ▁end omet rial ▁cancer . ▁Alter ations ▁in ▁the ▁local ization ▁and ▁expression ▁levels ▁of ▁beta - c aten in ▁have ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁heart ▁disease , ▁including ▁dil ated ▁card iom y op ath y . ▁ β - c aten in ▁is ▁reg ulated ▁and ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁beta - c aten in ▁destruction ▁complex , ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁by ▁the ▁ad en om at ous ▁poly pos is ▁col i ▁( AP C ) ▁protein , ▁encoded ▁by ▁the ▁tum our - supp ress ing ▁A PC ▁gene . ▁Therefore , ▁gen etic ▁mut ation ▁of ▁the ▁A PC ▁gene ▁is ▁also ▁strongly ▁linked ▁to ▁can cers , ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁col ore ct al ▁cancer ▁resulting ▁from ▁famil ial ▁ad en om at ous ▁poly pos is ▁( F AP ). ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁ ▁B eta - c aten in ▁was ▁initially ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁component ▁of ▁a ▁m amm al ian ▁cell ▁ad hes ion ▁complex : ▁a ▁protein ▁responsible ▁for ▁cy top las m atic ▁anch oring ▁of ▁cad her ins . ▁But ▁very ▁soon , ▁it ▁was ▁realized ▁that ▁the ▁D ros oph ila ▁protein ▁arm ad illo ▁– ▁imp licated ▁in ▁medi ating ▁the ▁morph ogen ic ▁effects ▁of ▁Wing less / W nt ▁– ▁is ▁hom olog ous ▁to ▁the ▁m amm al ian ▁ β -