Researchers have discovered a molecule could be a likely key driver in identifying the development and progression of colorectal cancer and could be an important target as well.

Our findings provide proof-of-principle that anti-miR-135b has significant therapeutic potential in colorectal cancer treatment," says Croce, who is also the John W. Wolfe Chair in Human Cancer Genetics. For this study, Croce and his collaborators used a CRC mouse model based on loss of a tumor suppressor and a model based on inflammation and oncogene activation; human tumors from a cohort of sporadic CRC and inflammatory-bowel-disease associated CRC; human and animal cell lines and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas.
Key findings included:
- MiR-135b up-regulation occurs in both sporadic and inflammatory bowel disease-associated CRC, and it is associated with tumor stage and poor clinical outcome;
- Loss of the APC gene, deregulation of the PTEN/PI3K pathway and over-expression of the SRC oncogene all trigger miR-135b over-expression;
- Artificial miR-135b over-expression increases cell proliferation and reduces apoptosis, as occurs with APC loss or PI3K or SRC activation.
- Delivering anti-miR-135b in an inflammation-related CRC mouse model affected proliferation and apoptosis, resulting in reduced tumor number and size.
Source-Eurekalert