The key role of cellular plasticity in the development of colorectal cancer

The development of colorectal cancer, which is a malignant tumor demonstrating high morbidity and mortality worldwide, involves complex molecular mechanisms and biological processes. Early-stage colorectal cancer patients do not exhibit obvious clinical symptoms; thus, they are often diagnosed with middle-stage to late-stage disease. The overall survival of advanced colorectal cancer patients with metastasis and treatment resistance is poor. Notably, tumor cell plasticity promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance, thus leading to the high incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. In-depth studies of cellular plasticity are expected to lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets. In this review, we systematically summarize the role of cellular plasticity in colorectal cancer development and explore the regulatory mechanisms associated with cellular plasticity in colorectal cancer, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for this type of cancer.