Notch信号通路在胃肠道肿瘤机制研究中的新进展

Progress in Notch-mediated Signaling Pathway in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Notch信号通路是一条进化上十分保守的信号转导系统,它对细胞的增殖、分化、凋亡过程的生物学行为进行调控,而且在胚胎发育阶段和成熟组织的自我更新过程中对维持干细胞的稳定有着重要作用。在不同组织微环境中Notch信号的紊乱与机体多种肿瘤的发生有关。胃肠道肿瘤是威胁人类健康的重大疾病之一,进一步了解其发病分子机制,有助于分子治疗靶向药物的研发。现将Notch信号在胃肠道肿瘤机制中作用的新发现作一综述。

The Notch system is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that regulates many cellular processes,including stem cell maintenance,proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis. Aberrant Notch signaling has been implicated in several tumors,where Notch can act both as an oncogene or a tumor-suppressor gene,depending on the context. Gastrointestinal can- cer is an important global health problem. Therefore,a better understanding of the molecular alterations underlying gastrointestinal cancer may contribute to the development of rationally designed molecular targeted therapies. This article reviews what is currently known about the Notch signaling,focusing first on the activation and modulation of this system ,then on its role in gastrointestinal cancers.