Scientists discover how colon cancer cells change identity to spread

Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may help explain how colorectal cancer becomes deadly. When levels of a gene-regulating factor called GATA6 drop, cancer cells can shed their normal identity and transform into highly adaptable, fetal-like cells capable of spreading through the bloodstream and establishing new tumors in the liver. The study suggests that this dangerous transition is driven less by new genetic mutations and more by changes in how genes are switched on and off.

Raccontata dasciencedaily.com