Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jun 15, 2026; 18(6): 116858
Published online Jun 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i6.116858
Published online Jun 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i6.116858
Translational implications of the MAZ/UHRF1/ECRG4 axis in metastatic colorectal carcinoma
Eric Michael Kunz, Russell James Schoeller III, Joseph Patrick Carroll, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
Brandon Lucke-Wold, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
Author contributions: Kunz EM and Schoeller III RJ designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Kunz EM and Lucke-Wold B contributed to the writing, editing the manuscript, and review of literature; Schoeller III RJ and Carroll JP contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Kunz EM, Schoeller III RJ, Carroll JP, and Lucke-Wold B contributed to this paper, read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
AI contribution statement: Grammarly and ChatGPT were used for language polishing and writing assistance for this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Eric Michael Kunz, Doctorate Student, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, United States. ekunz005@med.fiu.edu
Received: November 24, 2025
Revised: December 21, 2025
Accepted: January 6, 2026
Published online: June 15, 2026
Processing time: 199 Days and 12.8 Hours
Revised: December 21, 2025
Accepted: January 6, 2026
Published online: June 15, 2026
Processing time: 199 Days and 12.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This manuscript identifies a novel metastatic signaling cascade in colorectal cancer in which Myc-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ) transcriptionally activates the epigenetic regulator ubiquitin-like with PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1), leading to hypermethylation and silencing of the tumor suppressor esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4). This MAZ/UHRF1/ECRG4 axis drives epithelial – mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis. Targeting MAZ or UHRF1 – or restoring ECRG4 expression – may offer a promising epigenetic therapeutic strategy for metastatic colorectal carcinoma.