High-plasticity oncofetal cell states in early pre-metastatic colorectal cancer.

In Nature, Buissant des Amorie et al. demonstrate that colorectal cancer acquires oncofetal cell states that resemble embryonic intestines, confer stem-like features, reshape epithelial identity, and prime cells for invasion and metastasis. Oncofetal cells are essential for metastasis and ubiquitous in non-metastatic tumors, with cancer-associated fibroblasts as key microenvironmental drivers.