Although PD-L1 is widely implicated in tumor immune evasion, the tumor-intrinsic roles of PD-L1 and the mechanisms by which PD-L1 regulates EMT, the acquisition of tumor-initiating potential and resistance to anti-tumor drugs, as well as the ability to disseminate and metastasize in human cancers are currently less well defined. The gene discussed is CD274; the disease is cancer.