Wen JK, Xia J, Yu L, Xu GL, Ye GF, Lin YH. Could deciphering cellular-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor/hepatocyte growth factor network dynamics unlock novel biomarker-driven therapies for colorectal cancer? World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(4): 114567 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i4.114567]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yu-Hua Lin, PhD, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiamen TCM Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1739 Xianyue Road, Xiamen 361015, Fujian Province, China. lin1083885768@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Apr 15, 2026; 18(4): 114567 Published online Apr 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i4.114567
Could deciphering cellular-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor/hepatocyte growth factor network dynamics unlock novel biomarker-driven therapies for colorectal cancer?
Jun-Kai Wen, Jing Xia, Lu Yu, Guo-Liang Xu, Gang-Fu Ye, Yu-Hua Lin
Jun-Kai Wen, Lu Yu, Guo-Liang Xu, Gang-Fu Ye, Yu-Hua Lin, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiamen TCM Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen 361015, Fujian Province, China
Jing Xia, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 900th Hospital of PLA Joint Logistic Support Force, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian Province, China
Co-first authors: Jun-Kai Wen and Jing Xia.
Co-corresponding authors: Gang-Fu Ye and Yu-Hua Lin.
Author contributions: Wen JK, Xia J, and Yu L contributed to collected relevant data; Wen JK and Xia J contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Xia J contributed to prepared the figures; Wen JK and Yu L contributed to drafted the manuscript; Xu GL, Ye GF, and Lin YH contributed to conceived the review, provided methodological guidance, and revised the manuscript critically; Ye GF and Lin YH contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Xiamen Health Commission High-Quality Development Science and Technology Plan Project, No. 2024GZL-GG49; Fujian Province Natural Science Foundation Project, No. 2024J08328; Fujian Provincial Health Commission Youth Research Project, No. 2024QNB021; and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth) Program, No. 82405349.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Yu-Hua Lin, PhD, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiamen TCM Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1739 Xianyue Road, Xiamen 361015, Fujian Province, China. lin1083885768@163.com
Received: September 23, 2025 Revised: December 1, 2025 Accepted: January 14, 2026 Published online: April 15, 2026 Processing time: 197 Days and 16 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This comprehensive review delineates the complex cellular-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met)/hepatocyte growth factor signaling network as a central driver of colorectal cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapies. We highlight innovative insights, including the distinct tumor-suppressive roles of microRNA-1 and microRNA-137 in regulating c-Met, the critical function of the transcriptional activator metastasis associated in colon cancer 1, and the pathway’s extensive crosstalk with vascular endothelial growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. The review synthesizes recent advances in c-Met-targeted agents (inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies) and emerging non-invasive molecular imaging techniques. It proposes novel, biomarker-driven combination strategies and patient stratification approaches to overcome therapeutic resistance, paving the way for personalized treatment in colorectal cancer.
