Artesunate attenuates the growth of human colorectal carcinoma and inhibits hyperactive Wnt/beta-catenin pathway.

Artesunate (ART), a remarkable antimalarial agent, also inhibited the growth of human colorectal carcinoma. As determined by MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis on apoptosis and indirect immunofluorescence analysis on the proliferation-associated marker Ki67, ART suppressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis on beta-catenin and RT-PCR analysis on Wnt/beta-catenin target genes demonstrated ART translocated beta-catenin from nucleus to adherent junctions of membrane and reduced transcription mediated by beta-catenin.

Establishment and characterization of a novel human colorectal cancer cell line (CLY) metastasizing spontaneously to the liver in nude mice.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) with liver metastasis is a fatal disease with rapid progression and poor patient outcome. However, the molecular mechanism involved in liver metastasis of CRC remains essentially unknown, largely because of the presence of few available CRC cell lines with liver metastasis origin and spontaneous metastatic potentials in nude mice. In this study, we established a novel metastatic CRC cell line, CLY, derived from liver metastasis of a 64-year-old Chinese CRC patient.