A potential therapeutic target for colon cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of cancer death in the developed countries. Accumulated evidences indicate that lipid metabolism, especially the one in the arachidonic acid (AA)-pathway, appears to play a critical role in the development of CRC. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPAR-γ) gene, one of the most important components of the AA-pathway, has been verified to express in a variety of tumor cells. Many studies have been performed about the association between the polymorphism 34 C>G of PPAR-γgene and CRC, but got conflicting results.

A research article to be published on May 7, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. A research team led by Professor Li-Cheng Dai, confirmed the former data of the association between PPAR-γgene 34 C>G and CRC in the meta-analysis.

In this report, the association between PPAR-γ gene polymorphism 34 C>G and colon cancer risk was observed, and the G allele decreased the colon cancer risk, which is meaningful to early diagnosis, prevention and individual-based treatment of colon cancer. Furthermore, 34 C>G of PPAR-γ gene might be a potential therapeutic target for colon cancer.

Reference: Lu YL, Li GL, Huang HL, Zhong J, Dai LC. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ 34C>G polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk: A meta-analysis. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(17): 2170-2175

http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i17/2170.htm

Correspondence to: Li-Cheng Dai, Professor, Huzhou Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China. dlc@hzhospital.com

Telephone: +86-572-2033020 Fax: +86-572-2033020

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.