• Insight to colon cancer disease and treatment
  • Mohaddeseh Bamdad,1 Saman Hakimian,2,*
    1. Bachelor of Biology, Plant Sciences, Payam Nour Rudsar University
    2. M.sc student of Pathogenic Microbes Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch


  • Introduction: Colon cancer (CC) stands as a formidable global health challenge, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The molecular categorization of colon cancer patients remains elusive. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), which investigates the dysregulated genes among tumor and normal samples, has revealed the pivotal role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in colon cancer pathogenesis. Tumor-associated macrophages are transcriptionally heterogeneous, but the spatial distribution and cell interactions that shape macrophage tissue roles remain poorly characterized. Solute carrier family (SLC) transporters are expressed in the digestive system and play important roles in maintaining physiological functions in the body. In addition, SLC transporters act as oncoproteins or tumor-suppressor proteins during the development, progression, and metastasis of various digestive system cancers. SLC22A18, a member of the SLC22 gene family, is an orphan transporter with an unknown endogenous substrate. A considerable number of colon cancer patients with local or local advanced disease suffer from Q7 recurrence and there is an urgent need for better prognostic biomarkers in this setting. Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is a fundamental tool in the prevention and early detection of one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers. Over the years, screening, particularly in those settings where it is well organized, has succeeded in reducing the incidence of colon and rectal cancer and improving the prognosis related to them. Despite considerable advancements in screening technologies and strategies, the effectiveness of CRC screening programs remains less than optimal.
  • Methods: Since colon cancer has a high rate of shedding of tumour fragments into the blood, several research efforts are now focused on the investigation of the minimal residual disease through the detection of ctDNA to tailor the adjuvant therapy of colon cancer patients and optimize its cost/effectiveness balance. The negative prognostic impact of detectable ctDNA in patients’ blood after radical surgery for colon cancer is well established. Lipidomic and proteomic analysis of membrane fractions revealed significant changes in tumor-promoting cellular pathways and cellular transporters. The oncolytic microbe can trigger pyroptotic cancer cell death, but insufficient pyroptotic response of current microbe-based biotherapeutics restricts the antitumor efficiency. Herein, we report an oral bacterial pyroptosis amplifier composed of two bacterial strains, reductive Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (abbreviated as MR-1) and engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) with the overexpression of pyranose oxidase, augmenting the pyroptosis effect against colon and metastatic tumors.
  • Results: Each bacterium is camouflaged with hyaluronic acid to survive against the harsh gastrointestinal environment and to enrich in colon tumor sites. Upon the bacteria colonizing at the tumor site, iron sucrose is orally administrated.
  • Conclusion: The following oral administration of Fe(Ⅲ)-contained iron sucrose leads to the intratumoral accumulation of Fe(Ⅱ) by the reduction characteristic of MR-1. Hydrogen peroxide (H O ), synthesized by pyranose oxidase from E. coli, serves as the substrate for Fenton reaction to generate toxic hydroxyl radicals through Fe(Ⅱ)-H O -Fe(Ⅲ) recycling between both strains, thereby promoting immunogenic pyroptosis inside the tumor.
  • Keywords: cancer - colon - DNA - health - tumor - cellular