The role of the BMP pathway in colorectal cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the western world and an improved understanding of the molecular pathways involved in CRC could potentially allow improved prediction and personalized therapy. The BMP pathway is known to be crucial for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis and deregulation of this pathway is known to contribute to colorectal cancer formation. The studies presented in this thesis provide evidence that the BMP pathway is an important homeostatic pathway and that, both in normal tissue and in cancer, BMP signaling is influenced by (cancer-associated) fibroblasts. The outcome of BMP signaling on the epithelial cells appears to be dependent on the bioavailability of BMPs and, importantly, on the presence of a functional intracellular BMP pathway.