title: Eicosanoid pathway in colorectal cancer: Recent updates.
abstract: Enzymatic metabolism of the 20C polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) arachidonic acid (AA) occurs via the cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways, and leads to the production of various bioactive lipids termed eicosanoids. These eicosanoids have a variety of functions, including stimulation of homeostatic responses in the cardiovascular system, induction and resolution of inflammation, and modulation of immune responses against diseases associated with chronic inflammation, such as cancer. Because chronic inflammation is essential for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), it is not surprising that many eicosanoids are implicated in CRC. Oftentimes, these autacoids work in an antagonistic and highly temporal manner in inflammation; therefore, inhibition of the pro-inflammatory COX-2 or 5-LOX enzymes may subsequently inhibit the formation of their essential products, or shunt substrates from one pathway to another, leading to undesirable side-effects. A better understanding of these different enzymes and their products is essential not only for understanding the importance of eicosanoids, but also for designing more effective drugs that solely target the inflammatory molecules found in both chronic inflammation and cancer. In this review, we have evaluated the cancer promoting and anti-cancer roles of different eicosanoids in CRC, and highlighted the most recent literature which describes how those molecules affect not only tumor tissue, but also the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we have attempted to delineate the roles that eicosanoids with opposing functions play in neoplastic transformation in CRC through their effects on proliferation, apoptosis, motility, metastasis, and angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Sinem Tuncer, Sreeparna Banerjee, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.affiliation: Sinem Tuncer, Sreeparna Banerjee, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sreeparna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015777:Eicosanoids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Cyclooxygenase; Eicosanoids; Inflammation; Lipoxygenase