IL-23/IL-23R: potential mediator of intestinal tumor progression from adenomatous polyps to colorectal carcinoma

Purpose Interleukin 23 (IL-23) affects tumor growth by regulating Th cells and plays a vital role in immunosuppression in tumor tissues. However, whether tumor cells are IL-23R positive or whether IL-23 has the potential to influence the growth of cancer cells directly remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular expression patterns of IL-23, IL-23R, and Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) in normal tissues adjacent to cancer, in intestinal polyps (IP), and in colorectal carcinoma (CRC), and to infer the relationship between the expression patterns of these three molecules and the progress of intestinal tumors from adenomatous polyps to colorectal cancer.