Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer worldwide and ranks third among the cancer-related deaths in the US and other Western countries. It occurs with equal frequency in men and women, constituting 10% of new cancer cases in men and 11% in women. Despite recent advancement in therapeutics, the survival rates from metastatic are less than 5%. Growing evidence supports the contention that epithelial cancers including colorectal cancer, the incidence of which increases with aging, are diseases driven by the pluripotent, self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSCs). Dysregulation of Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog and/or TGF-β signaling pathways that are involved in proliferation and maintenance of CSCs leads to the development of CRC. This review focuses on the signaling pathways relevant for CRC to understand the mechanisms leading to tumor progression and therapy resistance, which may help in the development of therapeutic strategies for CRC.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer worldwide and ranks third among the cancer-related deaths in the US and other Western countries
A better understanding of the signaling mechanisms in cancer stem cells (CSCs) will aid in the development of new therapeutic strategies for CRC
In the vicinity of basal lamina, stem cells are surrounded by mesenchymal cells that are of myofibroblast lineage. These pericryptal myofibroblasts produce the Wnt signalling ligands which bind to Frizzled receptors as well as morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonists gremlin 1(GREM1), gremlin 2 (GREM2) on basal epithelial stem cells and can modulate notch signaling
Summary
7. Willis ND, Przyborski SA, Hutchison CJ, Wilson RG: Colonic and colorectal cancer stem cells: progress in the search for putative biomarkers. Virchows Arch Pathol Anat Physiol Klin Med 1855, 3:23. O'Brien CA, Pollett A, Gallinger S, Dick JE: A human colon cancer cell capable of initiating tumour growth in immunodeficient mice. Kolligs FT, Bommer G, Goke B: Wnt/beta-catenin/tcf signaling: a critical pathway in gastrointestinal tumorigenesis. Van de Wetering M, Sancho E, Verweij C, de Lau W, Oving I, Hurlstone A, van der Horn K, Batlle E, Coudreuse D, Haramis AP, Tjon-Pon-Fong M, Moerer P, van den Born M, Soete G, Pals S, Eilers M, Medema R, Clevers H: The beta-catenin/TCF-4 complex imposes a crypt progenitor phenotype on colorectal cancer cells. Ilyas M, Efstathiou JA, Straub J, Kim HC, Bodmer WF: Transforming growth factor beta stimulation of colorectal cancer cell lines: type II receptor bypass and changes in adhesion molecule expression.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
