ZEB1 and neoplasm: In addition, ZEB1 has been shown to participate in the development of cancer stem cells [34, 35] which can remain dormant with drug-resistant properties and can be reactivated under certain microenvironmental stimuli to differentiate into various cell types to endow tumor heterogeneity, to produce more invasive tumor cells to penetrate adjacent healthy tissues, and to survive long in circulation to reach remote areas for metastasis.