Damane, Botle PreciousMulaudzi, Thanyani VictorKader, Sayed ShakeelNaidoo, PragalathanSavkovic, Suzana D.Dlamini, ZodwaMkhize-Kwitshana, Zilungile Lynette2024-04-192024-04-192023-02Damane, B.P.; Mulaudzi, T.V.; Kader, S.S.; Naidoo, P.; Savkovic, S.D.; Dlamini, Z.; Mkhize-Kwitshana, Z.L. Unraveling the Complex Interconnection between Specific Inflammatory Signaling Pathways and Mechanisms Involved in HIV-Associated Colorectal Oncogenesis. Cancers 2023, 15, 748. https://DOI.org/10.3390/cancers15030748.2072-6694 (online)10.3390/cancers15030748http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95689The advancement of HIV treatment has led to increased life expectancy. However, people living with HIV (PLWH) are at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancers. Chronic inflammation has a key role in oncogenesis, affecting the initiation, promotion, transformation, and advancement of the disease. PLWH are prone to opportunistic infections that trigger inflammation. It has been documented that 15–20% of cancers are triggered by infections, and this percentage is expected to be increased in HIV co-infections. The incidence of parasitic infections such as helminths, with Ascariasis being the most common, is higher in HIV-infected individuals. Cancer cells and opportunistic infections drive a cascade of inflammatory responses which assist in evading immune surveillance, making them survive longer in the affected individuals. Their survival leads to a chronic inflammatory state which further increases the probability of oncogenesis. This review discusses the key inflammatory signaling pathways involved in disease pathogenesis in HIV-positive patients with colorectal cancers. The possibility of the involvement of co-infections in the advancement of the disease, along with highlights on signaling mechanisms that can potentially be utilized as therapeutic strategies to prevent oncogenesis or halt cancer progression, are addressed.en© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.Colorectal cancerInflammationMetastasisVimentinNF-kBInflammasomeEpigeneticsPeople living with HIV (PLHIV)Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)Toll-like receptor (TLR)Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)SDG-03: Good health and well-beingArticle