Frontiers in Immunology (Nov 2022)

Cytokine-mediated crosstalk between cancer stem cells and their inflammatory niche from the colorectal precancerous adenoma stage to the cancerous stage: Mechanisms and clinical implications

  • Guanglin Cui,
  • Guanglin Cui,
  • Ziqi Wang,
  • Hanzhe Liu,
  • Zhigang Pang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1057181
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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The majority of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are thought to arise from precancerous adenomas. Upon exposure to diverse microenvironmental factors, precancerous stem cells (pCSCs) undergo complex genetic/molecular changes and gradually progress to form cancer stem cells (CSCs). Accumulative evidence suggests that the pCSC/CSC niche is an inflammatory dominated milieu that contains different cytokines that function as the key communicators between pCSCs/CSCs and their niche and have a decisive role in promoting CRC development, progression, and metastasis. In view of the importance and increasing data about cytokines in modulating pCSCs/CSC stemness properties and their significance in CRC, this review summarizes current new insights of cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-23, IL-33 and interferon (IFN)-γ, involving in the modulation of pCSC/CSC properties and features in precancerous and cancerous lesions and discusses the possible mechanisms of adenoma progression to CRCs and their therapeutic potential.

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