To validate our prediction that context-specific interactions can move the ‘stemness window’ toward the epithelial or mesenchymal end of the ‘EMT axis’, we analyze the gene expression data of CSCs from different cancer subtypes that have been characterized with stemness markers (such as ALDH+ or CD44+/CD24–) or via other functional assays (Supplementary Table 6). This evidence concerns the gene CD44 and cancer.