title: Emerging role of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator - an epithelial chloride channel in gastrointestinal cancers.
abstract: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a glycoprotein with 1480 amino acids, has been well established as a chloride channel mainly expressed in the epithelial cells of various tissues and organs such as lungs, sweat glands, gastrointestinal system, and reproductive organs. Although defective CFTR leads to cystic fibrosis, a common genetic disorder in the Caucasian population, there is accumulating evidence that suggests a novel role of CFTR in various cancers, especially in gastroenterological cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. In this review, we summarize the emerging findings that link CFTR with various cancers, with focus on the association between CFTR defects and gastrointestinal cancers as well as the underlying mechanisms. Further study of CFTR in cancer biology may help pave a new way for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.
authors.affiliation: Yuning Hou, Xiaoqing Guan, Zhe Yang, Chunying Li, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States.
authors.forename: Yuning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Yuning Hou, Xiaoqing Guan, Zhe Yang, Chunying Li, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Yuning Hou, Xiaoqing Guan, Zhe Yang, Chunying Li, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Yuning Hou, Xiaoqing Guan, Zhe Yang, Chunying Li, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States.
authors.forename: Chunying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; Gastrointestinal cancer; Nuclear factor κB; Protein interaction; Signaling molecule