In small intestinal stem cells and Caco2 cells (a human colon cancer cell line), HMGA1 directly induces SOX9, and upregulation of SOX9 by HMGA1 could enhance expansion in Paneth-like cells, since Paneth cell differentiation in small intestine depends on SOX9 (30). Here, HMGA1 is linked to malignant colon neoplasm.