IL-13 induces the expression of 11βHSD2 in IL-13Rα2 dependent manner and promotes the malignancy of colorectal cancer.

Previous studies had demonstrated that IL-13 and its receptor IL-13Rα2 participated in the process of onset and development of colorectal cancer, however, its detailed mechanism was still unclear. Herein, we demonstrated that IL-13 induced the expression of 11βHSD2 in an IL-13Rα2 dependent manner in colorectal cancer cells. Furthermore, we indicated 11βHSD2 was critical for IL-13 to induce the expression of COX2 and activated Akt, which was essential for IL-13 to promote the colony formation abilities and migration abilities of colorectal cancer cells. Inhibitor of 11βHSD2 glycyrrhizic acid (GA) significantly reduced the liver metastasis of colorectal cancers cells seeded in the Appendix serous of the nude mice. These results provide evidences to reveal the molecular mechanism in the process of colorectal cancer involving IL-13 and its receptor IL-13Rα2, and may provide new therapeutic target for treatment of colorectal cancer.