Possible participation of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in the origin of cancer stem cells in diabetic patients with colon cancer

The association between diabetes and the associated increased risk of several solid malignancies has been the subject of investigation for many years, while potential biologic links between the two diseases are incompletely understood. The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) signal transduction may represent a focal point in their respective contributions to malignant transformation associated diabetes. While the physiopathology of RAGE axis in promoting malignancies cannot be explained completely by the available mechanism as perpetuating inflammation at tumor microenvironment. In addition, experimental researches revealed a crucial role for upstreams of RAGE signaling pathway in maintaining the stemness properties and tumorigenicity of cancer stem cells. Hence, we hypothesized that RAGE inducing cancer stem cells may be a key determinant in the origin and progression of colon malignant tumors concomitant diabetes. Such an opinion not only bands together the seemingly disparate various complications in diabetes and colon cancers, but also has future implications for risk assessment and biopharmaceutical treatment.