Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) and colorectal cancer risk: a case-control study nested within a European prospective cohort

A new study by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions examines the relationship between soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) and the risk of developing colorectal cancer. The study was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The researchers, led by Dr Elom Aglago and Dr Mazda Jenab from the Section of Nutrition and Metabolism at IARC, found that pre-diagnostic concentrations of sRAGE were inversely associated with the risk of developing colorectal cancer in men but not in women. This is the first study to find sex-specific differences in levels of sRAGE in blood in association with colorectal cancer. sRAGE acts as a decoy and competes with another receptor, the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE). Overexpression of RAGE has been associated with chronic inflammation, which has been associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. The researchers also found that the degree of expression of the ADAM10 gene, which converts RAGE into sRAGE, plays a role in colorectal cancer development.

This study is important to understand the role that sRAGE plays in mitigating inflammation in the body by binding to advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), a class of deleterious molecules that are absorbed from processed foods or produced in the body, particularly in individuals with diabetes. These findings also highlight possible sex differences in sRAGE and colorectal cancer risk, and how genetic expression could partially modulate these actions.

The study was made possible with the generous financial support of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

Aglago EK, Rinaldi S, Freisling H, Jiao L, Hughes DJ, Fedirko V, et al.
Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) and colorectal cancer risk: a case-control study nested within a European prospective cohort
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, Published online 20 October 2020;
https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0855

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