New Discoveries in Targeting Drug-Resistant Colon Cancer
Recent vital discoveries have been made in colon cancer research. Scientists have discovered a link between retinoic acid (RA) and the Wingless-related integration site (WNT) signaling pathways, vital for tumors to grow. Abnormality in WNT signaling has been associated with the development of many cancers and is possibly a contributing factor in drug resistance and the reoccurrence of tumors. Dysregulation of RA and WNT signaling is vital to the development of colorectal cancer by scientists at the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Graham Cancer Center. The APC tumor suppressor gene regulates the renewal of stem cells and their numbers. Therefore, mutations or malfunctions in this or other normal genes lead to the development of tumors. Previous research had revealed that the RA signaling pathway spurred the maturation and differentiation of the colon stem cells. A more recent study linked the malformation and excessive growth of colon stem cells to deform