Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Colony Formation Assay Detecting the Proliferative Capacity of LncRNA-knockdown Osteosarcoma Cells
06:13

Colony Formation Assay Detecting the Proliferative Capacity of LncRNA-knockdown Osteosarcoma Cells

Published on: January 16, 2026

The transcriptional repressor SNAIL is overexpressed in human colon cancer

Hemant K Roy1, Thomas C Smyrk, Jennifer Koetsier

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Evanston-Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA. h-roy@northwestern.edu

Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|February 17, 2005
PubMed

Insights

SNAIL protein is overexpressed in 78% of colorectal cancers (CRCs), unlike normal tissue. This finding suggests SNAIL may play a role in CRC metastasis and could be a target for future cancer prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The transcriptional repressor SNAIL is linked to various cancers.
  • Its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) pathogenesis remained uninvestigated.
  • Understanding SNAIL's function in CRC is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression and potential role of SNAIL protein in human colorectal cancer specimens.
  • To determine if SNAIL expression correlates with clinical features of CRC.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemical analysis of SNAIL protein expression in archived CRC paraffin blocks and tissue arrays.
  • Scoring of SNAIL immunoreactivity by a gastrointestinal pathologist.
  • Statistical analysis to correlate SNAIL expression with clinicopathological parameters.

Main Results:

  • SNAIL protein was undetectable in normal colonic mucosa.
  • SNAIL was expressed in 78% of CRC tumors.
  • SNAIL-positive tumors were associated with older patient age (P=0.028).
  • A trend indicated higher SNAIL expression in metastatic CRCs (P=0.11).

Conclusions:

  • SNAIL is significantly upregulated in human colorectal cancer.
  • SNAIL overexpression may be involved in CRC metastasis.
  • SNAIL represents a potential therapeutic target for chemoprevention in CRC.

Related Concept Videos

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)...
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
Epigenetic Regulation01:46

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...