In this review, the major signal transduction pathways that have been shown to play an
important role in intestinal homeostasis are highlighted. Each of them, the Wnt, Notch,
Hedgehog, and Bone Morphogenetic Protein, as well as growth‐factor regulated Receptor
Tyrosine Kinases are depicted with a special emphasis through their involvement in stem
cell maintenance and their role in intestinal tumorigenesis. Finally, we discuss recent data
on the final steps of tumor progression, notably the formation of distant metastases. This …