Minerva medica
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease and activation of WNT and TGFβ mediated oncogenic pathways is frequently observed in this pathology. However, to date, limited reports have been published addressing the association of circadian clock with CRC pathogenesis and stratification. The current study aims at assessing the expression of important circadian markers, PER2, PER3 and NR1D1, in independent CRC cohorts and their associations with CRC-related pathways. ⋯ Thus, low PER3 expression in CRC and poor survival of patients with NR1D1-high tumors reveal that genes in the suppressor loop of circadian rhythm are dysregulated in CRC, hence pointing out to the importance of dissecting the circadian pathway in cancer.