Gastric cancer is one of the world's most common cancers. Its carcinogenic pathway is mainly associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, subsequent inflammation and tissue regeneration. During the regeneration process, cells deviate from the normal pathway of gastric differentiation to an 'intestinal phenotype', which is thought to be precancerous and associated with the intestinal type of gastric cancer. Inappropriate activation of intestine-specific transcription factors could contribute to the occurrence of the intestinal-type cancer of the stomach.