The Bone Morphogenetic Protein Pathway Is Active in Human Colon Adenomas and Inactivated in Colorectal Cancer.

The article focuses on a study which aimed to determine whether and where bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is disrupted during the adenoma-carcinoma sequence of colorectal cancer (CRC) formation. A tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry of BMP receptors and signal transduction elements in adenomas and CRC specimens were used to elucidate the role of BMP signalling in CRC carcinogenesis. The results of the study showed that the loss of BMP signalling correlates with progression of adenomas to cancer occurs during cancer progression.