The price of plasticity: Losing colon identity to gain metastatic potential.

Abstract

The generation of highly plastic cell states in colorectal cancer that are prone to metastatic dissemination involves complex epigenetic reprogramming, rather than new genetic traits. Goto et al.¹ implement a serial orthotopic organoid transplantation framework to uncover the idea that losing Gata6, a guardian of the colonic lineage, promotes metastatic competence.