In colon cancer cells and mesenchymal stem cells, the extracellular domain of EpCAM shed from the cell surface via proteolytic cleavage mediated by ADAM17 and γ-secretase increases the activities of ADAM17 and γ-secretase by inducing their EGFR-dependent phosphorylation, thereby promoting further EpCAM shedding [97,98]. Here, EPCAM is linked to malignant colon neoplasm.