Nm23-H1 expression does not predict clinical survival in colorectal cancer patients.

The gene Nm23, which encodes for a nucleoside diphosphate kinase, has been defined as a metastasis-suppressor gene because of the inverse correlation between its expression and the metastatic capacity of the tumor cells. For colorectal cancer, however, the findings are equivocal. The aim of our study was to assess, in 160 patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC), the expression of the Nm23-H1 protein and to evaluate its possible associations with traditional clinicopathologic variables, with DNA-ploidy and proliferative activity (S-phase fraction, SPF), and with disease-free and overall survival of patients.

The homeobox gene Cdx1 belongs to the p53-p21(WAF)-Bcl-2 network in intestinal epithelial cells.

Because the Cdx1 homeobox gene stimulates proliferation and induces transformation and tumorigenesis, it has been investigated whether it is involved in the complex network comprising p53, p21(WAF), and Bcl-2 in intestinal epithelial cells. Non-transformed intestinal IEC-6 cells and colon adenocarcinoma SW480 cells were used to study the putative molecular relationship between Cdx1, p53, p21(WAF), and Bcl-2. Wild-type p53 inhibited the transcriptional activity of the Cdx1 promoter whereas the inactive mutant p53(mut22/23) had no effect.