CALL FOR PAPERS Physiology and GI Cancer Lysyl oxidase in colorectal cancer

Cox TR, Erler JT. Lysyl oxidase in colorectal cancer. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 305: G659–G666, 2013. First published September 5, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00425.2012.—Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent form of cancer worldwide and fourth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality, leading to 600,000 deaths annually, predominantly affecting the developed world. Lysyl oxidase is a secreted, extracellular matrix-modifying enzyme previously suggested to act as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer. However, emerging evidence has rapidly implicated lysyl oxidase in promoting metastasis of solid tumors and in particular colorectal cancer at multiple stages, affecting tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. This emerging research has stimulated significant interest in lysyl oxidase as a strong candidate for developing and deploying inhibitors as functional efficacious cancer therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the rapidly expanding body of knowledge concerning lysyl oxidase in solid tumor progression, highlighting recent advancements in the field of colorectal cancer.