Abstract
Heat-stable toxins (STs) produced by enterotoxigenic bacteria cause endemic and traveler's diarrhea by binding to and activating the intestinal receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C). Advances in understanding the biology of GC-C have extended ST from a diarrheagenic peptide to a novel therapeutic agent. Here, we summarize the physiological and pathophysiological role of GC-C in fluid-electrolyte regulation and intestinal crypt-villus homeostasis, as well as describe translational opportunities offered by STs, reflecting the unique characteristics of GC-C, in treating irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation, and in preventing and treating colorectal cancer.
Keywords:
biomarker; colorectal cancer; guanylin; guanylyl cyclase C; heat-stable enterotoxins (STa); hormone insufficiency; hormone replacement therapy; irritable bowel syndrome; targeted delivery; tumor vaccine; uroguanylin.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Bacterial Toxins / therapeutic use*
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Bacterial Toxins / toxicity
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Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
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Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
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Colorectal Neoplasms / prevention & control
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Constipation / drug therapy
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Enterotoxins / therapeutic use*
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Enterotoxins / toxicity
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Escherichia coli Proteins
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Humans
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / drug therapy
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / etiology
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neoplasm Staging
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Peptides / therapeutic use
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Receptors, Enterotoxin
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Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled / agonists
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Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled / genetics
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Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled / physiology*
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Receptors, Peptide / agonists
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Receptors, Peptide / genetics
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Receptors, Peptide / physiology*
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Signal Transduction
Substances
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Bacterial Toxins
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Enterotoxins
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Escherichia coli Proteins
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Peptides
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Receptors, Peptide
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heat stable toxin (E coli)
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Receptors, Enterotoxin
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Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled
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linaclotide