MAPK3 and colorectal carcinoma: Figure 7A shows that ERK1/2 knockdown significantly enhanced the sensitivity of HT29 and SW480 cell lines to 5-Fu treatment, compared to non-specific scrambled siRNA-transfected CRC cells. Knockdown of ERK1/2 significantly decreased the expressions of ERK1/2, N-cadherin, Twist, and Zeb1, accompanied by an elevation in E-cadherin expression (Figure 7B). Additionally, we demonstrated that ERK1/2 knockdown in PLK1-expressing CRC cells reduced stemness, as evidenced by a decrease in spheroid growth (Figure 7C).