CXCL12 and neoplasm: In line with this evidence, Wendt et al, recently suggested that DNA hypermethylation results in a loss of CXCL12 expression in tumor cells, which might promote the metastasis of colon and breast cancers by creating an enhanced chemotactic gradient between the CXCL12-poor microenvironment of the primary tumor and the CXCL12-rich target organs [10, 11].