Oncofetal cell states: cell plasticity drives invasion in premetastatic colorectal tumors

In a recent publication in Nature , Buissant des Amorie et al. provide evidence that an oncofetal cell state which is associated with advanced disease, chemoresistance and metastatic competence emerges already in early-stage T1 colorectal cancer (CRC). Intriguingly, oncofetal cell states at the invasive front are in close proximity to an exclusive subcluster of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) thus arguing that cell plasticity towards an oncofetal state is governed by non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. 1