Mechanistically, PCGF1 promotes the expression of the colorectal cancer stemness markers CD133, CD44 and ALDH1A1 by maintaining histone H3K4me3 and removing histone H3K27me3 marks by increasing the expression of the H3K4me3 methyltransferase KMT2A and the H3K27me3 demethylase KDM6A. Here, CD44 is linked to colorectal cancer.