Colorectal Cancer and Prostaglandin

ABSTRACT

The possibility for cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors in colorectal cancer prevention and theraphy is evident from epidemiologic data (reduction of colorectal cancer in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) users), animal experiments (nude mouse xenograft tumor reduced by NSAIDs or reduction of colorectal cancer in APCmin mouse and azoxymethane treated rat by using NSAIDs), and molecular genetics. Among two variant COX, inducible COX-2 enzyme is more involved in tumorigenesis than constitutive COX-1 enzyme and molecular method have given us insight into the mechanism of colorectal cancer development by COX-2 such as, apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasiveness, and immune modulation. Based on that COX-2 is involved in tumor promotion during colorectal cancer progress, a large number of prevention and treatment trials of colorectal cancer have been started. And many trials to elucidate the function of prostaglandin produced by COX-2 are now in progress.