They compared gene expression in stage I colon carcinomas with that in benign colon adenomas in human colon tissue and showed that while LGR5 expression correlated with an ISC signature in wild type KRAS (stage I) colon carcinomas, the presence of oncogenic KRAS, regardless of LGR5 expression, was associated with an embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like transcriptional signature instead of an ISC program. Here, KRAS is linked to colon carcinoma.