Gastrin and somatostatin relate with large intestine carcinoma?

by Professor Pei Wu from Wannan Medical College has been recently published on May 14, 2008, in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Large intestine cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Gastrin inhibits cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer by up-regulating the expression of FasL and by inducing Fas-expressing T cell apoptosis, which makes large intestine cancer cells escape from immune surveillance and immunocyte attack. Somatostatin promotes cell apoptosis in large intestine cancer by up-regulating the expression of Fas or by increasing caspase-3 levels and activating the death receptor signaling pathway.

Since the molecule mechanism by which gastrin and somatostatin mediate cell apoptosis in large intestine carcinoma is not fully understood, further study is needed.