Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide. Current treatments include surgery and chemotherapy, but disease recurrence occurs frequently. The continuous renewal of intestinal epithelium relies on the presence of intestinal stem cells that are also at the origin of CRC and contribute to therapy resistance and metastatic dissemination. Several nuclear signaling pathways and transcription factors regulate both intestinal cell homeostasis and tumorigenesis. However, the transcriptional events that govern the emergence of aggressive therapy-resistant cancer stem cells are still poorly defined. This review summarizes the relevance of transcription factors in intestinal stem cell biology and their involvement in colon cancer development and drug resistance.
Part of the book: Gene Expression and Regulation in Mammalian Cells