The potential therapeutic and prognostic impacts of the c‐MET/HGF signaling pathway in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and a common cause of cancer‐related mortality globally. In spite of the improvements in the early diagnosis of CRC, approximately one‐third of patients develop metastasis and then have a very poor survival rate. The mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (c‐MET) is a tyrosine kinase cell surface receptor activated by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Activation of c‐MET/HGF signaling pathway regulates a variety of biological processes including cell motility, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition, and the development and progression of cancer cells. Recent studies have suggested that the c‐MET/HGF signaling pathway is involved in the carcinogenesis of CRC. In this review, we summarize the main findings of recent studies investigating the role of c‐MET/HGF signaling pathway in CRC and the potential of the c‐MET/HGF signaling pathways in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 2019