MFGE8 and cancer: Initially lactadherin was identified as a bridging molecule between apoptotic cells and phagocytic macrophages29–31, but growing evidence has indicated that it is a secreted inflammatory mediator that orchestrates diverse cellular interactions involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including vascular metabolic disorders and some tumors32–36 and cancers, such as breast34,37, bladder38, esophageal39 and colorectal cancer40.