In gastric cancer: runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) is an important downstream target of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFb) superfamily signaling, CpG silencing in the promoter region of regulated genes by hypermethylation is thought to be one of the mechanisms leading to loss of gene function (Fan et al., 2011). Here, RUNX3 is linked to gastric cancer.