Scientific Reports - Lipid mediators play pivotal roles in colorectal cancer and colitis, but only a limited member of the phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) subtypes, which lie upstream of various lipid mediators, have been implicated in the positive or negative regulation of these diseases.

A team of Japanese researchers established the role of sPLA₂-III in the promotion of colorectal inflammation and cancer, expanded the overall understanding of the divergent roles of multiple PLA₂ enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and pointed to sPLA₂-III as a novel druggable target for colorectal diseases.

 

Group III phospholipase A2 promotes colitis and colorectal cancer

 

Authors: Remi Murase, Yoshitaka Taketomi, Yoshimi Miki, Yasumasa Nishito, Moe Saito, Kiyoko Fukami, Kei Yamamoto & Makoto Murakami

Scientific Reports 7, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-12434-z, 25 September 2017