The observations on cell cluster-based metastasis contradict the conventionally accepted model of tumor metastasis involving epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which cancer cells lose expression of E-cadherin, with consequent loss of intercellular adhesions, and gain expression of mesenchymal markers (e.g. vimentin) along with the relevant transcriptional factors (e.g. Twist1 and Zeb1)15–17. The gene discussed is CDH1; the disease is cancer.