CMTM4 regulates RTK function and further controls downstream signal activation, including NF-κB and Akt/mTOR pathways (Fig. 2 and 3), which may induce tumor productions of various cytokines and chemokines in cancer cells, including CCL-1, IL-1β, G-CSF (Tang et al, 2018; Taniguchi and Karin, 2018; Welte et al, 2016). Here, CSF3 is linked to cancer.