DCLK1 and neoplasm: Studies have shown that DCLK1 negatively regulates tumor suppressor miRNAs and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process through which polarized epithelial cells undergo multiple biochemical changes, leading to a mesenchymal phenotype, such as enhanced migratory capacity, invasiveness, and resistance to apoptosis [9, 18, 26].