Research Progress of MAPK Signaling Pathway in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. In recent years, despite the widespread application of new endoscopic techniques and continuous advancements in treatment methods that have improved the early diagnosis rate of CRC, the disease often has an insidious onset. Many patients are already in the middle or late stages of the disease when diagnosed, leading to poor treatment outcomes and prognosis. Therefore, further investigation into the pathogenesis of CRC and exploration of new therapeutic targets remain hot topics of research. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway belongs to the large family of serine/threonine kinases and is a crucial pathway for signal transduction in eukaryotes. The MAPK signaling pathway can be activated by various extracellular signals such as cytokines, growth factors, and oxidative stress, thereby influencing biological processes like cell cycle, differentiation, malignant transformation, metastatic potential, and apoptosis. It plays a significant regulatory role in the development and progression of malignancies ^[1]. The evolution of CRC involves abnormal regulation of multiple signaling pathways, among which dysregulation of the MAPK signaling pathway is a key molecular event. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the research progress on the MAPK signaling pathway in CRC.