上皮细胞间质转化在大肠癌发生发展中的研究进展

上皮间质转化是一种已知的分子事件,他不仅在正常组织器官发育过程中起着重要的作用,而且在疾病状态也发挥着重要的作用.越来越多的证据显示在人类大肠癌形成和肿瘤侵袭过程中发生了上皮间质转化,而且其也参与了慢性炎症相关性纤维化和黏膜的修复过程.在大肠癌发生发展过程中越来越多的证据支持转化生长因子β(transforming growth factor-β,TGF-β)和他下游的Smad信号传导、磷酸酰肌醇3’激酶/Akt/mTOR轴、Ras丝裂原活化蛋白激酶/Snail/Slug/FOXC2途径、Hedgehog信号通路和microRNAs等介导的上皮细胞间质转化(epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition,EMT)所发挥的重要作用.现将对这些途径在大肠癌上皮细胞间质转化启动和发展过程中的作用进行综述.对EMT在大肠癌发生发展过程中所起到的诱导和调控作用进行深入了解,将会促进对相关信号通路和潜在治疗靶点分子的认识.

Progress in understanding the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the pathogenesis of colorectal tumors

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a well established biological event that plays an important role not only in the normal development of tissues and organs but also in the pathogenesis of many diseases.Increasing evidence has established its presence in the human colon during colorectal carcinogenesis and cancer invasion,chronic inflammation-related fibrosis,and mucosal healing.A large body of evidence supports the role of transforming growth factor-β and its downstream Smad signaling,the phosphatidylinositol 3’-kinase/Akt/mTOR axis,the Rasmitogen-activated protein kinase/Snail/Slug and FOXC2 pathway,and Hedgehog signaling and microRNAs in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the development of colorectal cancers.Here we discuss the role of these pathways in the initiation and development of the transition events.A better understanding of their induction and regulation may lead to the identification of pathways and factors that could be potent therapeutic targets.