Abstract

Pedram Nazari, Mahsa Noroozi, Amir Mohammad Papan, Seyedeh Parvin Mousavi Ghanavati*

ABSTRACT

Barret esophagus is one the most important and dreaded consequences of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease that can significantly increase the likelihood of esophageal adenocarcinoma in these individuals. Despite extensive research in regard to the diagnosis and treatment of said condition, there is no standardized treatment yet. Besides anti-reflux drugs, many substances have been suggested as potential candidate for chemoprevention of adenocarcinoma, but none has been widely accepted. Authors of this paper have proposed 3,3?- Diindolylmethane (DIM) as a potential effective chemoprevention for esophageal adenocarcinoma. DIM is an indole component that is predominantly found in cruciferous vegetables. Authors have reviewed the most important pathways that result in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma from Barret’s esophagus and how DIM can affect them. Some of these pathways are as follows: Growth factors and other cellular stimuli (C-Met, Cyclin complexes and cyclin-dependent kinases), MAPK and PI3K pathway, Shh, Notch, Wnt signaling pathway, the Hippo pathway, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B, tumor suppressor’s pathways (P53, P27 and P21). It seems that DIM can be a promising substance for stopping the progression of barret’s to adenocarcinoma.