Taken together with similar levels of ST3 expression between the primary and metastatic tumours, it seems that ST3 is involved in the local invasion and early development of CRC, but is not a critical factor in the late stage of CRC development although one study shows that high expression of ST3 transcripts correlate with the progression of CRCs toward liver metastasis [189]. This evidence concerns the gene MMP11 and metastatic neoplasm.