Can licorice lick colon cancer?
COX-2 promotes colon cancer. While both nonselective NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors reduce disease burden, their adverse gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects limit their therapeutic use. In this issue of the JCI, Zhang et al. used gene silencing and a derivative of licorice root to show that inhibition of the enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II(11betaHSD2) reduces tumor COX-2 activity, tumor growth, and metastasis by increasing the tonic glucocorticoid-mediated suppression of the COX-2 signaling pathway without the adverse effects associated with NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors (see the related article beginning on page 876). Their findings suggest that 11betaHSD2 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic option in colon cancer, warranting further investigation.
College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom. p.m.stewart@bham.ac.uk
Paul M
PM
Stewart
Stephen M
SM
Prescott
D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006035:Glycyrrhiza; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2; D006854:Hydrocortisone