In the recent years, fatty acids (FAs) have been acknowledged not only as
building materials for lipid membranes and carbon source for β-oxidation, but also as
important signaling molecules. In this field, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have
received special attention as modulators of inflammation. The enzymes that process
PUFAs into bioactive metabolites (cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases) have already been
targeted by pharmaceutical agents. Given the fact that intense synthesis of FAs is a
metabolic hallmark of cancer, it is expected that FAs play an important role in cancer
development, progression and invasion, and could be targeted by modern therapies. In
this chapter, we will discuss the possible use of FAs and drugs affecting their
metabolism against colorectal cancer (CRC), which is strongly associated with
environmental factors such as high-fat, high caloric diet and obesity. We will cover the
role of n-3 PUFAs as dietary supplements in primary prevention of CRC based on the
results obtained from clinical trials, and elaborate on the latest patents designed to
improve the bioavailability of PUFAs concentrates as nutritional treatments for patients
with CRC. We will also discuss the enzymes processing PUFAs and their role in
tumorigenesis with focus on their potential as markers for “molecular staging” (fatty
acid synthases and elongases) and targets in therapy (cyclooxygenase 2 and
lipoxygenase 5). Finally, we will examine new drug formulations (e.g. liposomes) and
their utility in CRC therapy. The chapter is based on the review of literature (PubMed
Database) and patent documents.
Keywords: Adjuvant therapy, chemotherapy, colorectal cancer, cyclooxygenase,
dietary supplementation, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, fatty acids,
gastrointestinal cancer, inflammation, lipoxygenase, liposomes, nutritional
treatment, polyunsaturated fatty acids, prevention, patents.
