Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in both men and women in the USA, resulting in over 55,000 deaths annually. Environmental and genetic factors influence the development of CRC, and inflammation is a critical hallmark of cancer that may arise from a variety of factors. While patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of developing CRC, sporadic CRCs may engender or be potentiated by inflammation as well. In this review, we focus on recent advances in basic and translational research utilizing murine models to understand the contribution of inflammatory signaling pathways to CRC.

We discuss advances in the utility of three-dimensional enteroid/colonoid/tumoroid cultures to understand immune-epithelial interactions in CRC, as well as the potential for utilizing patient-derived tumoroids for personalized therapies.

This review underscores the importance of understanding the complex molecular mechanisms underlying inflammation in sporadic CRC and highlights up-and-coming or new avenues for CRC biomarkers or therapies.