Emerging role of bile acids in colorectal liver metastasis: From molecular mechanism to clinical significance (Review)

Liver metastasis is the leading cause of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related mortality. Microbiota dysbiosis serves a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal liver metastases. Bile acids (BAs), cholesterol metabolites synthesized by intestinal bacteria, contribute to the metastatic cascade of CRC, encompassing colorectal invasion, migration, angiogenesis, anoikis resistance and the establishment of a hepatic pre-metastatic niche. BAs impact inflammation and modulate the immune landscape within the tumor microenvironment by activating signaling pathways, which are used by tumor cells to facilitate metastasis. Given the widespread distribution of BA-activated receptors in both tumor and immune cells, strategies aimed at restoring BA homeostasis and blocking metastasis-associated signaling are of importance in cancer therapy. The present study summarizes the specific role of BAs in each step of colorectal liver metastasis, elucidating the association between BA and CRC progression to highlight the potential of BAs as predictive biomarkers for colorectal liver metastasis and their therapeutic potential in developing novel treatment strategies.