Description

Colorectal cancer remains the second most lethal cancer in the United States, often beginning as benign polyps in the colon and rectum. Despite relative ease of treatment, cases of CRC are usually detected in its late stages, rendering care difficult. CRC results from the mutation of multiple genes involved with the regulation of cell proliferation and DNA repair, with the ASIJ iGEM team focusing primarily on the Wnt pathway. The activation of the Wnt pathway specifically inhibits the degradation of beta-catenin, a protein that triggers the mutation of oncogenes and TSG’s. Through detection of these mutated genes and their subsequent downstream proteins, our team aims to develop an early screening method that can be adapted to a CRC detecting home-kit.