Plasticity in Motion: Shape-Shifting Lgr5-Cells Initiate Colorectal Cancer Metastasis.
Overview
abstract
In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Fumagalli et al. (2020) employ intravital microscopy of colorectal cancer organoid xenografts to investigate the cell of origin of metastases. While tumor-initiating cells are Lgr5+, most disseminated cancer cells are Lgr5- and seed liver metastases in which Lgr5+ cells then appear, showing that bidirectional plasticity of phenotypic states drives metastasis.
