Modulation of the Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway by Dietary Polyphenols, an Opportunity for Colorectal Cancer Chemoprevention and Treatment

Abstract

In the last few decades there has been a rise in the worldwide incidence of colorectal cancer which can be traced back to the influence of well-known modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle, diet and obesity. Conversely, the consumption of fruits, vegetables and fiber decreases the risk of CRC, which is why dietary polyphenols have aroused interest in recent years as potentially anti-carcinogenic compounds. One of the driving forces of colorectal carcinogenesis, in both sporadic and hereditary CRC, is the aberrant activation/regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This review discusses reports of modulation of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway by dietary polyphenols (resveratrol, avenanthramides, epigallocatechinin, curcumin, quercetin, silibinin, genistein and mangiferin) specifically focusing on CRC, and proposes a model as to how this modulation occurs. There is potential for implementing these dietary polyphenols into preventative and therapeutic therapies for CRC as evidenced by some clinical trials that have been carried out with promising results.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano and by a Colciencias grant (Project Code: 115080763215 CT 811-2018).