Saccon Tommaso, Bergamo Matilde, Franchin Cinzia
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Mass Spectrometry Facility (MS@DSF), University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Biomolecules. 2025 Sep 17;15(9):1328. doi: 10.3390/biom15091328.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune condition with an increasing incidence worldwide, which manifests in two pathological forms: Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Both cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, although they can present different locations and with different symptoms. To date, the pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear. One of the major complications of these diseases is colorectal cancer. Several studies have reported a correlation between chronic intestinal inflammation and an increased risk of malignancy. Persistent inflammation damages the intestinal mucosa and epithelial wall, altering gut permeability and the local microenvironment. Moreover, the heightened activity of the immune system leads to an increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), increasing the risk of DNA mutation and cell transformation. In addition, some current therapies used to treat IBD and induce remission may contribute to carcinogenesis or impair immune surveillance due to their immunosuppressive activity. The management of cancer risk for IBD patients remains a challenge, and existing screening methods are often invasive (endoscopies, biopsies), resulting in low patient compliance. To address this unmet clinical need, researchers have started using proteomics to identify novel biomarkers that could predict cancer risk in IBD patients in a non-invasive manner. This review aims to examine the current state of knowledge regarding the correlation between IBD and cancer, with a special focus on the biomarkers discovered through proteomic approaches, and their potential application in routine clinical screening. In our view, proteomics represents a powerful and rapidly evolving strategy for biomarker discovery, with the potential to complement or even replace invasive procedures. Its future clinical impact will rely on translating current research advances into robust and accessible diagnostic tools.
炎症性肠病（IBD）是一种自身免疫性疾病，在全球范围内发病率呈上升趋势，有两种病理形式：克罗恩病（CD）或溃疡性结肠炎（UC）。尽管两者的发病部位和症状可能不同，但都会引起消化道的慢性炎症。迄今为止，IBD的发病机制仍不清楚。这些疾病的主要并发症之一是结直肠癌。多项研究报告了慢性肠道炎症与恶性肿瘤风险增加之间的相关性。持续的炎症会损害肠黏膜和上皮壁，改变肠道通透性和局部微环境。此外，免疫系统的过度活跃会导致活性氧和氮物种（ROS和RNS）生成增加，从而增加DNA突变和细胞转化的风险。此外，目前用于治疗IBD和诱导缓解的一些疗法可能因其免疫抑制活性而促进致癌作用或损害免疫监视。IBD患者癌症风险的管理仍然是一项挑战，现有的筛查方法通常具有侵入性（内镜检查、活检），导致患者依从性较低。为了满足这一未被满足的临床需求，研究人员已开始使用蛋白质组学来识别能够以非侵入性方式预测IBD患者癌症风险的新型生物标志物。本综述旨在探讨IBD与癌症之间相关性的当前知识状况，特别关注通过蛋白质组学方法发现的生物标志物及其在常规临床筛查中的潜在应用。我们认为，蛋白质组学是一种强大且快速发展的生物标志物发现策略，有可能补充甚至取代侵入性程序。其未来的临床影响将取决于将当前的研究进展转化为强大且易于使用的诊断工具。
