Pathogenesis of cancer and diabetes caused by aberrant expression of sialidase

质膜相关唾液酸酶在包括结肠癌在内的多种人类癌症中表达上调。转基因小鼠会出现高胰岛素血症和随后的胰岛素抵抗，而且也容易受到致癌物偶氮甲烷诱导的结肠异常隐窝病灶的影响。对发病机制的分析表明，NEU3激活了Wnt信号，这被认为是癌症进展和胰岛β细胞生长的重要因素，提示NEU3对这两种疾病的影响可能是通过Wnt激活的。

Plasma membrane-associated sialidase is up-regulated in various human cancers including colon cancer. The transgenic mice develop hyperinsulinemia and subsequently insulin resistance, and also are susceptible to induction of colonic aberrant crypt foci by a carcinogen, azoxymethane. Analysis of the pathogenesis revealed that NEU3 activates Wnt signaling, which is thought to be important for cancer progression and also for beta cell growth in pancreatic islets, suggesting an influence of NEU3 on the two diseases probably via Wnt activation.