CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease caused by mutations in the <i>CFTR</i> gene that severely affects the lungs as well as extra-pulmonary tissues, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. CFTR dysfunction resulting from either mutations or the downregulation of its expression has been s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rahul Bhattacharya, Zachary Blankenheim, Patricia M. Scott, Robert T. Cormier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Journal of Personalized Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/6/868
_version_ 1797485541973819392
author Rahul Bhattacharya
Zachary Blankenheim
Patricia M. Scott
Robert T. Cormier
author_facet Rahul Bhattacharya
Zachary Blankenheim
Patricia M. Scott
Robert T. Cormier
author_sort Rahul Bhattacharya
collection DOAJ
description Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease caused by mutations in the <i>CFTR</i> gene that severely affects the lungs as well as extra-pulmonary tissues, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. CFTR dysfunction resulting from either mutations or the downregulation of its expression has been shown to promote carcinogenesis. An example is the enhanced risk for several types of cancer in patients with CF, especially cancers of the GI tract. CFTR also acts as a tumor suppressor in diverse sporadic epithelial cancers in many tissues, primarily due to the silencing of CFTR expression via multiple mechanisms, but especially due to epigenetic regulation. This review provides an update on the latest research linking CFTR-deficiency to GI cancers, in both CF patients and in sporadic GI cancers, with a particular focus on cancer of the intestinal tract. It will discuss changes in the tissue landscape linked to CFTR-deficiency that may promote cancer development such as breakdowns in physical barriers, microbial dysbiosis and inflammation. It will also discuss molecular pathways and mechanisms that act upstream to modulate CFTR expression, such as by epigenetic silencing, as well as molecular pathways that act downstream of CFTR-deficiency, such as the dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathways. Finally, it will discuss the emerging CFTR modulator drugs that have shown promising results in improving CFTR function in CF patients. The potential impact of these modulator drugs on the treatment and prevention of GI cancers can provide a new example of personalized cancer medicine.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T23:21:15Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3651b7a663fe4a9788ae6d73049f2ea7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2075-4426
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T23:21:15Z
publishDate 2022-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Journal of Personalized Medicine
spelling doaj.art-3651b7a663fe4a9788ae6d73049f2ea72023-11-23T17:26:46ZengMDPI AGJournal of Personalized Medicine2075-44262022-05-0112686810.3390/jpm12060868CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An UpdateRahul Bhattacharya0Zachary Blankenheim1Patricia M. Scott2Robert T. Cormier3Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USADepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USADepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USADepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USACystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disease caused by mutations in the <i>CFTR</i> gene that severely affects the lungs as well as extra-pulmonary tissues, including the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. CFTR dysfunction resulting from either mutations or the downregulation of its expression has been shown to promote carcinogenesis. An example is the enhanced risk for several types of cancer in patients with CF, especially cancers of the GI tract. CFTR also acts as a tumor suppressor in diverse sporadic epithelial cancers in many tissues, primarily due to the silencing of CFTR expression via multiple mechanisms, but especially due to epigenetic regulation. This review provides an update on the latest research linking CFTR-deficiency to GI cancers, in both CF patients and in sporadic GI cancers, with a particular focus on cancer of the intestinal tract. It will discuss changes in the tissue landscape linked to CFTR-deficiency that may promote cancer development such as breakdowns in physical barriers, microbial dysbiosis and inflammation. It will also discuss molecular pathways and mechanisms that act upstream to modulate CFTR expression, such as by epigenetic silencing, as well as molecular pathways that act downstream of CFTR-deficiency, such as the dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathways. Finally, it will discuss the emerging CFTR modulator drugs that have shown promising results in improving CFTR function in CF patients. The potential impact of these modulator drugs on the treatment and prevention of GI cancers can provide a new example of personalized cancer medicine.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/6/868cystic fibrosisCFTRgastrointestinal cancerstumor suppressor genemodulators
spellingShingle Rahul Bhattacharya
Zachary Blankenheim
Patricia M. Scott
Robert T. Cormier
CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
Journal of Personalized Medicine
cystic fibrosis
CFTR
gastrointestinal cancers
tumor suppressor gene
modulators
title CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
title_full CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
title_fullStr CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
title_full_unstemmed CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
title_short CFTR and Gastrointestinal Cancers: An Update
title_sort cftr and gastrointestinal cancers an update
topic cystic fibrosis
CFTR
gastrointestinal cancers
tumor suppressor gene
modulators
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/12/6/868
work_keys_str_mv AT rahulbhattacharya cftrandgastrointestinalcancersanupdate
AT zacharyblankenheim cftrandgastrointestinalcancersanupdate
AT patriciamscott cftrandgastrointestinalcancersanupdate
AT roberttcormier cftrandgastrointestinalcancersanupdate