Other identified molecules were RAR and EIF2, which function as gene expression regulators [34, 35], SMAD2 and AKT, which play several roles in CRC tumour biology including promotion of EMT [16, 17, 18], and the cell cycle regulator p21, which is encoded by the gene CDKN1A and involved in the regulation of cell division, differentiation and migration [19, 20, 21]. Here, CDKN1A is linked to colorectal carcinoma.