Researchers have found evidence that the network of cellular communication known as extracellular matrix (ECM) is a critical part of the formation of malignant cells.

As reported at Cloning Resources “It has been demonstrated that interactions between an epithelial breast cell and its ECM play a major role in determining whether that cell becomes cancerous, pointed the way to the idea that the ultimate fate of a stem or progenitor cell is heavily influenced by interactions with its neighboring microenvironments.”

It appears that “that a stem or progenitor cell is receiving instructional information from its surroundings”.