1213-Oncofetal Cell Plasticity in Early Colorectal Cancer

Recent research indicates that colorectal cancer cells adopt oncofetal states resembling embryonic tissue long before metastasis occurs. This cellular plasticity is not driven by new genetic mutations but is instead triggered by the tumor microenvironment, specifically at the invasive front of early-stage lesions. Specialized cancer-associated fibroblasts, known as trophocyte-like CAFs, reside in these areas and release signaling molecules like TGF-β and PGE2 to transform neighboring cancer cells. These high-plasticity states allow tumors to reshape their identity, granting them the stem-like features necessary for future spreading. Understanding this early stromal-to-tumor signaling provides a critical window for developing therapeutic interventions that could prevent cancer from becoming a systemic disease. This discovery shifts the focus of cancer progression from late-stage genetic evolution to early environmental reprogramming.References:Bulliard M, Perlov Y, Yilmaz Ö H, et al. High-plasticity oncofetal cell states in early pre-metastatic colorectal cancer[J]. Cancer Cell, 2026.前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动