Combination of Inositol Hexaphosphate and Inositol Inhibits Liver Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer in Mice Through the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

The role of WNT10B in physiology and disease: A 10-year update

WNT10B, a member of the WNT family of secreted glycoproteins, activates the WNT/β-catenin signaling cascade to control proliferation, stemness, pluripotency, and cell fate decisions. WNT10B plays roles in many tissues, including bone, adipocytes, skin, hair, muscle, placenta, and the immune system. Aberrant WNT10B signaling leads to several diseases, such as osteoporosis, obesity, split-hand/foot malformation (SHFM), fibrosis, dental anomalies, and cancer. We reviewed WNT10B a decade ago, and here we provide a comprehensive update to the field. Novel research on WNT10B has expanded to many more tissues and diseases. WNT10B polymorphisms and mutations correlate with many phenotypes, including bone mineral density, obesity, pig litter size, dog elbow dysplasia, and cow body size. In addition, the field has focused on the regulation of WNT10B using upstream mediators, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). We also discussed the therapeutic implications of WNT10B regulation. In summary, research conducted during 2012-2022 revealed several new, diverse functions in the role of WNT10B in physiology and disease.

IP6 reduces colorectal cancer metastasis by mediating the interaction of gut microbiota with host genes

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a phytochemical widely found in grains and legumes that plays an anti-cancer role. However, the mechanism underlying the inhibition of colorectal cancer metastasis by IP6 through host genes, gut microbiota, and their interactions remain elusive. In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to study the effect of IP6 on gut microbiota in an orthotopic transplantation model of colorectal cancer mice. The transcriptome was used to study the changes of host genes in metastasis and the relationship with gut microbiota. The results showed that the gut microbiota composition of model mice was significantly different from that of normal mice. The beta diversity partly tended to return to the normal level after IP6 intervention. Especially, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactococcus lactis were recovered after IP6-treated. Enrichment analysis showed that the enrichment score of the Cytokine-Cytokine receptor interaction signal pathway decreased after IP6 treatment compared to the model group. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in this pathway showed that IP6 reduced the expression of the Tnfrsf1b gene related to the area of liver metastasis, and the Tnfrsf1b gene was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Lactobacillus helveticus. Our results presented that host gene, microbiome and their interaction may serve as promising targets for the mechanism of IP6 intervention in colorectal cancer metastasis.

Untargeted GC-MS-Based Metabolomics for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant gastrointestinal cancers in the world with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 68%. Although researchers accumulated many scientific studies, its pathogenesis remains unclear yet. Detecting and removing these malignant polyps promptly is the most effective method in CRC prevention. Therefore, the analysis and disposal of malignant polyps is conducive to preventing CRC.

METHODS

In the study, metabolic profiling as well as diagnostic biomarkers for CRC was investigated using untargeted GC-MS-based metabolomics methods to explore the intervention approaches. In order to better characterize the variations of tissue and serum metabolic profiles, orthogonal partial least-square discriminant analysis was carried out to further identify significant features. The key differences in tR-m/z pairs were screened by the S-plot and VIP value from OPLS-DA. Identified potential biomarkers were leading in the KEGG in finding interactions, which show the relationships among these signal pathways.

RESULTS

Finally, 17 tissue and 13 serum candidate ions were selected based on their corresponding retention time, p-value, m/z, and VIP value. Simultaneously, the most influential pathways contributing to CRC were inositol phosphate metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, and linoleic acid metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

The preliminary results suggest that the GC-MS-based method coupled with the pattern recognition method and understanding these cancer-specific alterations could make it possible to detect CRC early and aid in the development of additional treatments for the disease, leading to improvements in CRC patients' quality of life.

Regulation of Wnt Signaling Pathways at the Plasma Membrane and Their Misregulation in Cancer

Wnt signaling is one of the key signaling pathways that govern numerous physiological activities such as growth, differentiation and migration during development and homeostasis. As pathway misregulation has been extensively linked to pathological processes including malignant tumors, a thorough understanding of pathway regulation is essential for development of effective therapeutic approaches. A prominent feature of cancer cells is that they significantly differ from healthy cells with respect to their plasma membrane composition and lipid organization. Here, we review the key role of membrane composition and lipid order in activation of Wnt signaling pathway by tightly regulating formation and interactions of the Wnt-receptor complex. We also discuss in detail how plasma membrane components, in particular the ligands, (co)receptors and extracellular or membrane-bound modulators, of Wnt pathways are affected in lung, colorectal, liver and breast cancers that have been associated with abnormal activation of Wnt signaling. Wnt-receptor complex components and their modulators are frequently misexpressed in these cancers and this appears to correlate with metastasis and cancer progression. Thus, composition and organization of the plasma membrane can be exploited to develop new anticancer drugs that are targeted in a highly specific manner to the Wnt-receptor complex, rendering a more effective therapeutic outcome possible.

Inositol Hexaphosphate (IP6) and Colon Cancer: From Concepts and First Experiments to Clinical Application

Multiple human health-beneficial effects have been related to highly phosphorylated inositol hexaphosphate (IP6). This naturally occurring carbohydrate and its parent compound, myo-inositol (Ins), are abundantly present in plants, particularly in certain high-fiber diets, but also in mammalian cells, where they regulate important cellular functions. However, the striking and broad-spectrum anticancer activity of IP6, consistently demonstrated in different experimental models, has been in a spotlight of the scientific community dealing with the nutrition and cancer during the last several decades. First experiments were performed in colon cancer 30 years ago. Since then, it has been shown that IP6 reduces cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and differentiation of malignant cells with reversion to normal phenotype, affecting several critical molecular targets. Enhanced immunity and antioxidant properties also contribute to the tumor cell destruction. Although Ins possesses a modest anticancer potential, the best anticancer results were obtained from the combination of IP6 + Ins. Here we review the first experimental steps in colon cancer, when concepts and hypotheses were put together almost without real knowledge and present clinical studies, that were initiated in colon cancer patients. Available as a dietary supplement, IP6 + Ins has been shown to enhance the anticancer effect of conventional chemotherapy, controls cancer metastases, and improves quality of life in cancer patients. Emerging clinical and still vast amount of experimental data suggest its role either as an adjuvant or as an "alternative" to current chemotherapy for cancer.