Scientists have identified a molecular switch that normally helps the gut heal after injury but is also hijacked by colorectal cancer cells to spread, according to a report from Technology Networks.
The research, published in Nature and covered by Technology Networks, centers on a protein called ZFP36L2. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) found that this protein orchestrates stress-adaptive plasticity—a process that allows cells to change their behavior under pressure—in both normal tissue regeneration and cancer, per the report.
The study reveals that when the gut is damaged, ZFP36L2 helps coordinate the repair process. However, colorectal cancer cells appear to exploit this same mechanism to become more invasive and spread to other parts of the body. The finding suggests that the gut's natural healing machinery can be co-opted by tumors, according to Technology Networks.
Dr. Karuna Ganesh, a researcher at MSK, was involved in the work, as noted in an image caption from EurekAlert! accompanying the study. The research was also highlighted by Bioengineer.org, which described the discovery as a "gut-healing molecular switch" that colorectal cancer uses to advance.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that cancer cells often repurpose normal biological processes for their own survival. Understanding how ZFP36L2 functions in both contexts could open new avenues for therapies that block its cancer-promoting activity while preserving its role in gut repair.
What to watch next: whether researchers can develop drugs that target ZFP36L2 specifically in cancer cells without disrupting healthy tissue regeneration.
