Project Description
Studies that examine the effects of dietary fiber and its degradation product, butyrate, on the risk of colon cancer have resulted in conflicting findings. Butyrate causes programmed cell death of colon cancer cells by increasing levels of Wnt signaling. However, some colon cancer cells develop resistance to butyrate. This study examined the mechanisms of the Wnt signaling pathway by using cells that resist the apoptotic effects of butyrate. An understanding of how malignant cells in the colon evade the apoptotic effects of butyrate will help explain the role of dietary fiber and butyrate in colon cancer.
