Zinc intake, microRNA dysregulation, and esophageal cancer.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly disease with a 5-year survival of only 10%[1]. Because of the absence of early symptoms, ESCC is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage. Thus, the development of new prevention and therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Dietary zinc (Zn) deficiency (ZD), a significant public health issue affecting 31% of the global population [2], is associated with an increased risk of ESCC development [3]. Since marginal Zn deficiency is prevalent in humans [4], it was important to learn the effect of mild to moderate Zn deficiency on ESCC etiology.Our previous work, using rat model systems, has advanced understanding of the role of Zn in ESCC carcinogenesis. Zn deficiency promotes ESCC by inducing an inflammatory gene signature with upregulation of cancer-associated inflammation genes & an oncogenic microRNA (miRNA) signature featuring up …