Rage mediated DAMP signaling in intestinal tumorigenesis

In the intestine, a large variety of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) can instigate innate immune responses, which have been shown to promote colorectal carcinogenesis. We have recently demonstrated an important role for the receptor for advanced glycation end products (Rage) in intestinal adenoma formation. Rage is a receptor for DAMPs that are present in several proteins produced in intestinal adenomas. We found that Rage signaling upholds a pro-inflammatory milieu through a feed-forward loop that stimulates the production of its own ligands.