Dipeptidase 1 has been identified as an excellent marker of high-grade IEN and CRC, and may thus be applied for screening of early neoplastic lesions and for prognostic stratification.
We have successfully employed MDHB to detect the relative expression levels of four colorectal cancer (CRC)-related genes (c-myc, COX-2, MMP7, and DPEP1) in 8 tissue samples and 9 stool samples from CRC patients, giving the detection rates of 100% and 77%, respectively.
DPEP1 protein was observed on the apical side of the cancer cells, and is expressed in the early stages of carcinogenesis, even in adenomas of both sporadic colorectal cancer and familial adenomatous polyposis patients.