This gene encodes an epidermal growth factor-related protein that contains a cripto, FRL-1, and cryptic domain. The encoded protein is an extracellular, membrane-bound signaling protein that plays an essential role in embryonic development and tumor growth. Mutations in this gene are associated with forebrain defects.The cripto gene is expressed both in ES cells and during the early phases of embryo development, while in adults it is reactivated in a wide range of epithelial cancers. It could play a role in the determination of the epiblastic cells that subsequently give rise to the mesoderm.Tissue specificity: Preferentially expressed in gastric and colorectal carcinomas than in their normal counterparts.