Drug Resistance in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 6234

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. EA3842 CAPTuR Laboratory “Cell Activation Control, Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Rue du Docteur Marcland, 87025 Limoges, France
2. Digestive Surgery Department, University Hospital of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France
Interests: colorectal cancer stem cells; resistance; epithelial–Mesenchymal transition; autophagy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. EA3842 CAPTuR Laboratory “Cell Activation Control, Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Rue du Docteur Marcland, 87025 Limoges, France
2. Digestive Surgery Department, University Hospital of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France
Interests: colorectal cancer; resistance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer worldwide, with a mean age of diagnosis at around 71 years old. Recent data suggest that there is an increased incidence of cases in young people. Moreover, despite improvement in prognosis thanks to targeted therapies over the past two decades, the rate of recurrence or resistance to treatment remains high. For instance, for stage 3, this rate reaches 30%, despite well-conducted curative treatment. Its complexity is in part related to the heterogeneity present within the tumor. This is linked to the presence of a set of stem cells that are able to initiate tumor formation, called cancer-initiating cells (CICs). In addition, tumor aggressiveness and resistance to treatments are not only driven by these CICs but also by the crosstalk with the tumor microenvironment (TME—i.e., fibroblasts, adhesion cells, endothelial cells, and immune system cells). The latter may be mediated by direct contact, or by transporters such as extracellular vesicle secretion, leading to an increased cancer biology complexity.

Therefore, this Special Issue will consider articles on all types of research on the biology of colorectal cancer stem cells and on their interconnection with the TME, with a focus on aggressiveness, dissemination, resistance to specific treatments and the potential presence of treatment and diagnosis biomarkers of these features.

Dr. Niki Christou
Dr. Muriel Mathonnet
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • drug resistance
  • colorectal cancer
  • treatment
  • cancer initiating cells
  • cancer stem cells
  • biomarkers
  • microenvironment
  • basis of therapeutic management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2140 KiB  
Article
Expression of Spermine Oxidase Is Associated with Colorectal Carcinogenesis and Prognosis of Patients
by Sooyoun Kim, Doyeon Kim, Sanghyun Roh, Inpyo Hong, Hyeongjoo Kim, Tae Sung Ahn, Dong Hyun Kang, Moon Soo Lee, Moo-Jun Baek, Hyoung Jong Kwak, Chang-Jin Kim and Dongjun Jeong
Biomedicines 2022, 10(3), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10030626 - 8 Mar 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2451
Abstract
Uncovering tumor markers of colorectal cancer is important for the early detection and prognosis of the patients. Spermine oxidase (SMOX) is upregulated in various cancers. The present study aims to explore the biologic function and expression patterns of SMOX in colorectal cancer (CRC), [...] Read more.
Uncovering tumor markers of colorectal cancer is important for the early detection and prognosis of the patients. Spermine oxidase (SMOX) is upregulated in various cancers. The present study aims to explore the biologic function and expression patterns of SMOX in colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common type of cancer worldwide. We used quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot, and in vitro functional studies in four CRC cell lines knocked down by SMOX siRNA and immunohistochemistry in 350 cases of CRC tissues. The results showed that SMOX was overexpressed in CRC cell lines and clinical samples. SMOX overexpression in tumor tissues was an independent prognostic factor, worsening overall survival (p = 0.001). The knock-down of SMOX inhibited CRC cell proliferation, invasion, and soft agar colony formation, uncovering its carcinogenic functions. This study indicated that SMOX overexpression could be an important oncogene in CRC and might serve as a valuable prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target for CRC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Resistance in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer)
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21 pages, 7103 KiB  
Article
Preclinical Identification of Sulfasalazine’s Therapeutic Potential for Suppressing Colorectal Cancer Stemness and Metastasis through Targeting KRAS/MMP7/CD44 Signaling
by Wai-Hung Leung, Jing-Wen Shih, Jian-Syun Chen, Ntlotlang Mokgautsi, Po-Li Wei and Yan-Jiun Huang
Biomedicines 2022, 10(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10020377 - 4 Feb 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3149
Abstract
Approximately 25% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients will develop metastatic (m)CRC despite treatment interventions. In this setting, tumor cells are attracted to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) oncogene. Kirsten rat sarcoma (RAS) 2 viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations [...] Read more.
Approximately 25% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients will develop metastatic (m)CRC despite treatment interventions. In this setting, tumor cells are attracted to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) oncogene. Kirsten rat sarcoma (RAS) 2 viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations were reported to drive CRC by promoting cancer progression in activating Wnt/β-catenin and RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. In addition, KRAS is associated with almost 40% of patients who acquire resistance to EGFR inhibitors in mCRC. Multiple studies have demonstrated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) promote tumorigenesis, tumor growth, and resistance to therapy. One of the most common CSC prognostic markers widely reported in CRC is a cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), which regulates matrix metalloproteinases 7/9 (MMP7/9) to promote tumor progression and metastasis; however, the molecular role of CD44 in CRC is still unclear. In invasive CRC, overexpression of MMP7 was reported in tumor cells compared to normal cells and plays a crucial function in CRC cetuximab and oxaliplatin resistance and distant metastasis. Here, we utilized a bioinformatics analysis and identified overexpression of KRAS/MMP7/CD44 oncogenic signatures in CRC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. In addition, a high incidence of mutations in KRAS and CD44 were associated with some of the top tumorigenic oncogene’s overexpression, which ultimately promoted a poor response to chemotherapy and resistance to some FDA-approved drugs. Based on these findings, we explored a computational approach to drug repurposing of the drug, sulfasalazine, and our in silico molecular docking revealed unique interactions of sulfasalazine with the KRAS/MMP7/CD44 oncogenes, resulting in high binding affinities compared to those of standard inhibitors. Our in vitro analysis demonstrated that sulfasalazine combined with cisplatin reduced cell viability, colony, and sphere formation in CRC cell lines. In addition, sulfasalazine alone and combined with cisplatin suppressed the expression of KRAS/MMP7/CD44 in DLD-1 and HCT116 cell lines. Thus, sulfasalazine is worthy of further investigation as an adjuvant agent for improving chemotherapeutic responses in CRC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Resistance in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer)
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