How Bestrophin-4 Helps Fight Colorectal Cancer

Have you ever wondered how certain cells in our body fight cancer? Well, let's talk about a special protein called Bestrophin-4 (BEST4). This protein is part of a family that helps control the flow of calcium and chloride in our cells. Scientists have found that BEST4 is really important in mature colon cells. However, its role in cancer was a mystery until recently. In an interesting study, researchers discovered that when they increased the amount of BEST4 in colorectal cancer cells, the cells grew slower, formed fewer colonies, and moved around less. This is great news because it means BEST4 can slow down cancer growth and stop it from spreading to other parts of the body, like the liver. Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. BEST4 teams up with another protein called HES4 in the cell's nucleus. HES4 acts like a messenger, telling BEST4 what to do by interacting with a specific part of the BEST4 gene.

BEST4 then takes charge and tells another protein, called TWIST1, to calm down. When TWIST1 is quiet, it prevents a process called epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) from happening. EMT is like a secret weapon cancer cells use to become more aggressive and spread faster. So, by keeping TWIST1 in check, BEST4 helps stop cancer from getting worse. But what happens if we take BEST4 away? Researchers used a tool called CRISPR/Cas9 to remove BEST4 from colorectal cancer cells. Guess what? The cancer cells started growing faster and going through EMT again. This shows just how important BEST4 is in the fight against cancer. Finally, scientists found that when BEST4 levels are low, colorectal cancer is more likely to be advanced and have a worse outlook. This suggests that BEST4 could be a key player in how colorectal cancer progresses.

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