Using a panel of cultured CAF lines established from colon cancer biopsies, Snail1 levels were shown to correlate with myofibroblast markers and activity on extracellular matrix (Stanisavljevic et al., 2014) and with their ability to promote tumour cell invasion in a paracrine manner (Herrera et al., 2013, 2014). The gene discussed is SNAI1; the disease is neoplasm.