Emerging roles of hydrogen sulfide in colorectal cancer

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous gas transmitter, plays a key role in several critical physiological and pathological processes in vivo, including vasodilation, anti-infection, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, and angiogenesis. In colorectal cancer (CRC), aberrant overexpression of H2S-producing enzymes has been observed. Due to the important role of H2S in the proliferation, growth, and death of cancer cells, H2S signaling pathways can serve as potential targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we thoroughly analyzed the underlying mechanism of action of H2S in CRC from the following aspects: the synthesis and catabolism of H2S in CRC cells and its effect on cell signal transduction pathway; the inhibition effect of exogenous H2S donors with different concentrations on the growth of CRC cells and the underlying mechanism of H2S in garlic and other natural products. Furthermore, we elucidate the expression characteristics of H2S in CRC and construct a comprehensive H2S-related signaling pathway network, which has important basic and practical significance for promoting the clinical research of H2S-related drugs.