Orchestrating the Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite the improvement of treatment options that bettered advanced-stage patient’s overall survival, the clinical outcome is still poor. The tumor microenvironment is thought to be an essential participant in the metastasis process. Liver metastases are the most frequent metastases that occur in CRC patients. It is believed that colorectal cancer has the liver as a preferential site for metastasis, and this is possible due to the multiple interactions that happen in the tumor microenvironment and due to the tumor stem cells input. As a means to investigate this biological process, microRNAs (miRNAs) have established a name for themselves as putative biomarkers in cancer and especially colorectal cancer. In this pilot study, we explored miRNAs expression that by influencing the tumor stem cells can help prevail liver metastasis in advanced-stage CRC patients.