2 research outputs found
Role of CXCL7 in Colon Cancer Proliferation
No full textColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third commonly diagnosed cancer worldly and the second cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. It is a complex disease, and despite the improvements in CRC screening and treatments approximately half of the patients discovered their cancers at late and aggressive stage of the disease. Thus, there is a need to increase public awareness for the importance of early diagnosis that can interrupt CRC progression, especially among populations who are at higher risk for CRC. Furthermore, understanding the predisposition factors and molecular mechanisms can help to improve preventative strategies and develop an effective-targeted therapy for CRC.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is heterogeneous, consisting of blood vessels, lymph vessels, secreted proteins, extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal cells, immune/inflammatory cells, and other components. The continuous and dynamic interaction between cancer cells and the TME can promote cancer progression. One of the important players in the TME is the chemokines family, a class of pro-inflammatory cytokines with small molecular weights (~8–14 kDa) that are capable of chemotactic cell-directed movement. Recently, the role of chemokines in the TME has received great attention, and a vast number of studies indicate their role in cancer progression, especially in CRC.
Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 7 (CXCL7)/ NAP2 is an immediate mediator for neutrophils recruitment released from platelets at sites of inflammation, and it has been suggested as a potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis. Literature has reported that CXCL7 drives tumor progression and metastasis by binding to its receptor (CXCR2) in various cancer types such as cholangiocarcinoma, breast cancer, and CRC. Furthermore, several pieces of evidence indicate that the encoding gene for CXCL7 (PPBP) and CXCR2 receptors are highly expressed in patients with CRC. Thus, CXCL7 has been a potential biomarker for diagnosis of many cancers including early lung and CRC. CXCL7 also has been shown to stimulate glucose transporters and glycolysis in non-cancer cells. Additionally, recent evidence reports a correlation between CXCL7 and the key glycolytic enzyme; lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and it is an independent risk factor for CRC prognosis. However, the role of the CXCL7-CXCR2 axis in CRC progression has not been fully understood. Hereby, we carried out this study to examine the role of the CXCL7-CXCR2 axis in mediating colon cancer proliferation. This study was the first to demonstrate that CXCL7 stimulates proliferation, lactate production, and glycolytic function in human colon cancer cells, suggesting that CXCL7 may stimulate colon cancer proliferation by enhancing aerobic glycolysis
Investigation of feeding and nutritional problems related to long-term enteral nutrition support among children with disabilities: a pilot study
No full textBackgroundEnteral Nutrition (EN) is considered a standard intervention for patients with disabilities who cannot meet their nutritional requirements orally and are at risk for malnutrition secondary to eating difficulties. The current study examined common feeding and nutritional problems related to prolonged EN among disabled children.MethodsA cross-sectional, pilot study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between December 2023 and March 2024. Caregivers of children with disabilities were invited to complete an online questionnaire that gathered demographic data and explored feeding difficulties and challenges related to enteral nutrition.ResultsA total of 41 caregivers completed the survey regarding their children. The median age (IQR) of disabled children was 3.2 (1.7–6.6) years. The most frequently reported feeding and nutritional problems in this cohort were constipation [median = 3.0, IQR: 2.0–4.0], weight loss [median = 3.0, IQR: 1.0–4.0], and gastroesophageal reflux [median = 2.0, IQR: 1.0–3.0].The regression analysis showed a statistical association between the indication for nutrition support and the subsequent detected feeding/nutritional problem, p-value<0.05. It also showed that the primary diagnosis (r = 0.459, p-value = 0.003) and health status (r = 0.458, p-value = 0.003) were statistically significant predictors of the frequency of reported feeding and nutritional problems among this children group. Additionally, the challenges experienced by the caregivers were statistically related to the type of EN provided (r = 0.491, p-value = 0.001).ConclusionThe study provided insight into the typical feeding and nutritional problems associated with long-term EN among children with disabilities. Identifying these issues can support early diagnosis and the implementation of appropriate nutritional interventions, ultimately helping to optimize growth and improve quality of life for these children
