Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the Western world, the scientists said, noting that beginning as a polyp, it turns into an invasive and violent cancer that often spreads to the liver.

In a majority of cases, colorectal cancer is initiated by changes in a protein -- beta-catenin -- that over-accumulates and inappropriately activates genes, leading to cancer.

In the study, Weizmann Institute Professor Avri Ben-Ze’ev and researcher Nancy Gavert discovered one of the genes activated by beta-catenin codes for a receptor called L1-CAM. That receptor is a protein usually found on nerve cells, where it plays a role in nerve cell recognition and motility.

Previous research by Ben-Ze’ev showed L1-CAM is only expressed on certain cells located at the invasive front of the tumor tissue, suggesting at it could be an important player in metastasis.

In the new study, the scientists confirmed colorectal cancer cells engineered to express the L1-CAM gene spread to the liver, while those cells lacking L1-CAM did not.

The study appeared in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Research.