Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Sep 15, 2024; 16(9): 3781-3797
Published online Sep 15, 2024. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i9.3781
Erythropoietin-induced hepatocyte receptor A2 regulates effect of pyroptosis on gastrointestinal colorectal cancer occurrence and metastasis resistance
Yu-Kun Zhang, Ran Shi, Ruo-Yu Meng, Shui-Li Lin, Mei Zheng
Yu-Kun Zhang, Ran Shi, Mei Zheng, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
Ruo-Yu Meng, Department of Minimally Invasive Comprehensive Treatment of Cancer, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong Province, China
Shui-Li Lin, Department of Ana and Intestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang YK wrote the manuscript; Shi R, Meng RY, and Lin SL collected the data; Zheng M reviewed this review. All authors reviewed, edited, and approved the final manuscript and revised it critically for important intellectual content, provided final approval of the version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Supported by Scientific Research Nurturing Fund of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, No. QYPY2020NSFC0609.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mei Zheng, PhD, Doctor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, No. 16766 Jingshi Road, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China. 17686689905@163.com
Received: April 24, 2024
Revised: June 30, 2024
Accepted: July 24, 2024
Published online: September 15, 2024
Processing time: 137 Days and 11.4 Hours
Abstract

Erythropoietin-induced hepatocyte receptor A2 (EphA2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a key role in the development and progression of a variety of tumors. This article reviews the expression of EphA2 in gastrointestinal (GI) colorectal cancer (CRC) and its regulation of pyroptosis. Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death that plays an important role in tumor suppression. Studies have shown that EphA2 regulates pyrodeath through various signaling pathways, affecting the occurrence, development and metastasis of GI CRC. The overexpression of EphA2 is closely related to the aggressiveness and metastasis of GI CRC, and the inhibition of EphA2 can induce pyrodeath and improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to treatment. In addition, EphA2 regulates intercellular communication and the microenvironment through interactions with other cytokines and receptors, further influencing cancer progression. The role of EphA2 in GI CRC and its underlying mechanisms provide us with new perspectives and potential therapeutic targets, which have important implications for future cancer treatment.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Pyroptosis; Erythropoietin-induced hepatocyte receptor A2; Tumor metastasis; Drug resistance

Core Tip: This study investigated the expression of erythropoietin-induced hepatocyte receptor A2 (EphA2) in gastrointestinal (GI) colorectal cancer (CRC) and the mechanism by which EphA2 regulates pyroptosis. By reviewing the relevant literature, we found that EphA2 regulates pyroptosis through a variety of signaling pathways (such as the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B and Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways), thereby affecting the survival, proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. The abnormal expression of EphA2 is closely related to the malignant behavior of GI CRC, and EphA2 further regulates the tumor microenvironment and immune response through interactions with inflammatory factors (such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ). Studies have shown that targeting EphA2 can induce pyrodeath in cells, improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to treatment, and subsequently inhibit the occurrence and metastasis of tumors. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism by which EphA2 regulates pyrodeath provides new ideas and potential targets for the treatment of GI CRC.