RESUMO
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, and its incidence and mortality are among the top three of all malignant tumors. In recent years, CRC is becoming more common in younger patients. Currently, surgery is the main or first treatment of early stage CRC, however, up to 50% patients have recurrence and metastasis post-surgery. While chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often used as adjuvant treatment after surgery or as main treatment options for late stage CRC, they usually induce severe adverse effects. Safe and effective treatments for CRC are still lacking. Therefore, it is essential to discover new therapies for CRC. Neuropilin 1 (NRP1), as a transmembrane glycoprotein, is reported to highly express in CRC, and its overexpression is demonstrated to be closely related to the occurrence and development of CRC. NRP1 is involved in angiogenesis, tumor growth, autophagy, and lipid metabolism, which is expected to be a potential new target for the treatment of CRC. This paper reviews the role of NRP1 in CRC, including its molecular structure, expression in CRC, as well as its connection with autophagy and metabolism. The regulatory factors of NRP1 in CRC were introduced, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), etc. The potential intervention strategies of CRC targeting NRP1 were summarized in order to provide reference for the diagnosis and prevention of CRC.