Insights into Gastrointestinal Cancer Metastasis from Preclinical Models

Metastasis remains the leading cause of mortality in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal malignancies. Despite advances in treatment, the biological mechanisms driving metastatic dissemination, colonization, and therapy resistance remain poorly understood. In recent years, patient-derived and experimental models—such as organoids, mouse models, and zebrafish xenografts—have provided powerful tools to study the metastatic process in a physiologically relevant and clinically actionable context.

This collection aims to highlight novel insights into GI cancer metastasis that have emerged through the use of preclinical models. We seek submissions and discussions around the following key themes:
• Development and Application of Preclinical Model Systems: Including zebrafish xenografts, patient-derived organoids, spheroids, PDX, and engineered murine models for GI cancer metastasis research.
• Modeling Metastasis and Functional Screening: In vitro and in vivo strategies to investigate and dissect the metastatic cascade.
• Dissecting Molecular, Metabolic, and Microenvironmental Drivers: Studies on genetic mutations, metabolic rewiring, and tumor-stromal interactions that contribute to metastasis, tumor aggressiveness, and therapy resistance.
• Unraveling Phenotypic Diversity for Patient Stratification: Approaches that use model systems to explore mechanisms behind differences in tumor aggressiveness and responses to treatment, with implications for personalized medicine.
• Innovative Technologies and Translational Impact: Integration of advanced technologies such as single-cell omics, genome editing, high-throughput drug screening, and imaging, with a focus on how discoveries advance our understanding of GI cancer progression.

By integrating these themes, the collection will highlight how innovative preclinical models and techniques are deepening our understanding of metastatic pathways, elucidating why certain patients experience more aggressive GI cancer phenotypes, and accelerating the identification of patient-tailored therapeutic vulnerabilities—ultimately bringing the vision of precision medicine closer to clinical reality.

Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this journal.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Gastrointestinal cancers, Precision Medicine, Preclinical Models, Metastasis Modeling, Organoids, Zebrafish Xenografts, Tumor Heterogeneity, Functional Screening, Tumor Microenvironment, Patient Stratification

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.