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…
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