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Review
. 2021:1287:59-68.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-55031-8_5.

NOTCH and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yong Li  1   2 , Yahui Li  2 , Xiaoxin Chen  3   4
Affiliations
Review

NOTCH and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yong Li et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021.

Abstract

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly disease that requires extensive research on its mechanisms, prevention, and therapy. Recent studies have shown that NOTCH mutations are commonly seen in human ESCC. This chapter summarizes our current understanding of the NOTCH pathway in normal esophagus and in ESCC. In normal esophagus, NOTCH pathway regulates the development of esophageal squamous epithelium, in particular, squamous differentiation. Exposure to extrinsic and intrinsic factors, such as gastroesophageal reflux, alcohol drinking, and inflammation, downregulates the NOTCH pathway and thus inhibits squamous differentiation of esophageal squamous epithelial cells. In ESCC, NOTCH plays a dual role as both a tumor suppressor pathway and an oncogenic pathway. In summary, further studies are warranted to develop NOTCH activators for the prevention of ESCC and NOTCH inhibitors for targeted therapy of a subset of ESCC with activated NOTCH pathway.

Keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Esophagus; NOTCH.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. NOTCH mutations in human ESCC.
These plots are downloaded from the TCGA database (www.cbioportal.org) based on the original data from two studies of 227 cases of human ESCC (7, 13). EGF-LR, epidermal growth factor-like repeat; LNR, LIN12-NOTCH repeat; NOD and NODP, NOTCH protein domain; ANK, Ankyrin repeats; DUF, domain of unknown function.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. NOTCH mutations and prognosis of human ESCC.
The plot is downloaded from the TCGA database (www.cbioportal.org) based on the survival data from one study of 88 cases of human ESCC (13).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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