In a study published in Science on September 24, 2026, MIT biologists reported identifying a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis. The pathway is controlled by the protein YAP1, which normally supports tissue repair; when active in cancer cells, it promotes proliferation and migration, the researchers said.

Working with tumor organoids from mouse models and patients, the team found metastatic cells shared activation of the YAP1 program, a regenerative state normally seen after gut injury. In mouse experiments, animals fed a high-fat diet activated YAP1 more than those on a healthy diet, through enzymes producing ceramides, a lipid class. Genetically targeting YAP1 or ceramide-production genes markedly reduced spread to the liver in mice. In patient RNA data, YAP1 was more active in metastatic cells, and patients with higher BMI showed higher expression of YAP1-activated genes; those with higher levels had lower survival.

The researchers cautioned the findings do not yet translate into dietary advice for diagnosed patients, and that drugs blocking ceramide synthesis would need high selectivity since these lipids are essential in healthy tissue. They plan to develop inhibitors of the enzymes DEGS1 and DEGS2. Omer Yilmaz of MIT, Nilay Sethi of Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber, and Alpaslan Tasdogan of University Hospital Essen and DKTK were senior authors.