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Article
| Open AccessDiet changes due to urbanization in South Africa are linked to microbiome and metabolome signatures of Westernization and colorectal cancer
Here, the authors present a comparative analysis of the diet, microbiome and metabolome of rural and urban Xhosa people in South Africa, associating urban diets with higher abundances of pro-neoplastic microbial metabolites.
- M. C. Ramaboli
- , S. Ocvirk
- & S. J. D. O’Keefe
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Article
| Open AccessMembrane to cortex attachment determines different mechanical phenotypes in LGR5+ and LGR5- colorectal cancer cells
The mechanical properties of heterogeneous cell populations in colorectal tumors and the relevance to cancer metastasis remain not fully understood. Here, the authors suggest that the variations in malignant phenotypes between LGR5-positive cancer stem cells and LGR5-negative cells could be due to their distinct mechanical phenotypes observed in vitro, determined by the membrane to cortex attachment proteins Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin.
- Sefora Conti
- , Valeria Venturini
- & Xavier Trepat
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Article
| Open AccessNeoadjuvant tislelizumab plus stereotactic body radiotherapy and adjuvant tislelizumab in early-stage resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: the Notable-HCC phase 1b trial
The feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been previously suggested. Here the authors report the results of a phase 1b trial of neoadjuvant tislelizumab plus stereotactic body radiotherapy and adjuvant tislelizumab in early-stage resectable HCC.
- Zhongchao Li
- , Jing Liu
- & Lei Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessTumor phylogeography reveals block-shaped spatial heterogeneity and the mode of evolution in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) present spatial intratumour heterogeneity (sITH). Here, the authors perform a genomic and phylogenetic analysis of spatially-sampled HCC tumour sections, observe block-shaped sITH, and find ongoing natural selection where ancestral and derived clones spatially compete in the same tumor.
- Xiaodong Liu
- , Ke Zhang
- & Weiwei Zhai
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Article
| Open AccessNardilysin-regulated scission mechanism activates polo-like kinase 3 to suppress the development of pancreatic cancer
Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) has a tumor suppressive role through the induction of apoptosis, however, the mechanism underlying its activation is unclear. Here, in pancreatic cancer, the authors show that activation of Plk3 is dependent on its cleavage into p41Plk3, by the metalloendopeptidase nardilysin.
- Jie Fu
- , Jianhua Ling
- & Paul J. Chiao
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Article
| Open AccessDecoding spatiotemporal transcriptional dynamics and epithelial fibroblast crosstalk during gastroesophageal junction development through single cell analysis
Elucidating the gastroesophageal junction’s development is key to comprehending its disease susceptibility. Here, the authors mapped its development, uncovering cellular diversity and interaction dynamics using advanced spatiotemporal single-cell analysis.
- Naveen Kumar
- , Pon Ganish Prakash
- & Cindrilla Chumduri
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-cell multiomics reveals the interplay of clonal evolution and cellular plasticity in hepatoblastoma
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most frequent paediatric liver tumour with heterogeneous cellular phenotypes that influence clinical outcomes. Here, the authors integrate bulk, single-cell, and spatial multi-omics to characterise HB cells, and find that clonal evolution and epigenetic plasticity shape response to therapy.
- Amélie Roehrig
- , Theo Z. Hirsch
- & Eric Letouzé
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Article
| Open AccessA population-based cohort study of longitudinal change of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol impact on gastrointestinal cancer risk
High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) levels have been associated with cancer. Here, the authors show the association between longitudinal changes of HDL-C and risk of gastrointestinal cancer in a patients.
- Su Youn Nam
- , Junwoo Jo
- & Chang-Min Cho
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Article
| Open AccessIdentification of spatially-resolved markers of malignant transformation in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms
The current stratification of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN) is based on clinical and histological features rather than molecular ones. Here, the authors use spatial transcriptomics to characterise IPMN patient samples, and identify markers associated with progression to pancreatic cancer.
- Antonio Agostini
- , Geny Piro
- & Carmine Carbone
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Article
| Open AccessCancer cell genetics shaping of the tumor microenvironment reveals myeloid cell-centric exploitable vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma
Distinct genetic mutations can shape the tumor immune microenvironment. Here the authors generate preclinical mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma bearing clinically-relevant oncogenic driver combinations, identifying myeloid cell-centric exploitable therapeutic vulnerabilities.
- Christel F. A. Ramirez
- , Daniel Taranto
- & Leila Akkari
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Article
| Open AccessThe EIF3H-HAX1 axis increases RAF-MEK-ERK signaling activity to promote colorectal cancer progression
Eukaryotic initiation translation factor 3 subunit h (EIF3H) possesses an alternative “moonlighting” function of deubiquitinase, while its role in colorectal carcinogenesis remains to be explored. Here the authors show that EIF3H deubiquitinates and stabilizes HAX1, which enhances RAF-MEK-ERK signaling to promote colorectal tumor growth and metastasis.
- Huilin Jin
- , Xiaoling Huang
- & Mong-Hong Lee
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Article
| Open AccessCombined KRAS-MAPK pathway inhibitors and HER2-directed drug conjugate is efficacious in pancreatic cancer
The MAPK pathway is an important therapeutic target in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but success is limited by pathway reactivation, which drives resistance. Here, the authors investigate the mechanism underlying HER2-reactivation post KRAS-MAPK inhibition, identifying combination of MAPK and HER2 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy.
- Ashenafi Bulle
- , Peng Liu
- & Kian-Huat Lim
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Article
| Open AccessNMR and MS reveal characteristic metabolome atlas and optimize esophageal squamous cell carcinoma early detection
Metabolic changes often occur during the early stages of cancer development. Here, the authors develop metabolomics signatures from tissues, pre- and post-operative sera and urines in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which may aid in early diagnosis.
- Yan Zhao
- , Changchun Ma
- & Yan Lin
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Article
| Open AccessIdentifying regulators of aberrant stem cell and differentiation activity in colorectal cancer using a dual endogenous reporter system
Aberrant stem cell-like activity and impaired differentiation are central to the development of colorectal cancer. Here, authors develop a dual endogenous reporter system to identify functional regulators of aberrant stem cell and differentiation programs, showing that SMARCB1 restricts differentiation, and nominating other regulators with therapeutic potential.
- Sandor Spisak
- , David Chen
- & Nilay S. Sethi
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Article
| Open AccessDelivery of a BET protein degrader via a CEACAM6-targeted antibody–drug conjugate inhibits tumour growth in pancreatic cancer models
Therapeutic options for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are limited. Here the authors report the characterization of a CEACAM6-targeting antibody drug conjugate loaded with a BET protein degrader, showing antitumour activity in PDAC preclinical models.
- Youya Nakazawa
- , Masayuki Miyano
- & Akihito Machinaga
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Article
| Open AccessEnabling large-scale screening of Barrett’s esophagus using weakly supervised deep learning in histopathology
Diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus depends on pathologist assessment of stained slides. Here, the authors utilise a deep learning approach to prioritize potential cases using diagnostic labels in two datasets, with the aim to improve Barrett’s screening capacity.
- Kenza Bouzid
- , Harshita Sharma
- & Javier Alvarez-Valle
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Article
| Open AccessThe phosphatidylserine targeting antibody bavituximab plus pembrolizumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase 2 trial
Bavituximab is a genetically engineered IgG1 chimeric antibody that targets phosphatidylserine. Here the authors report the results of a single-arm phase 2 trial of bavituximab in combination with pembrolizumab (anti-PD1) for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
- David Hsiehchen
- , Muhammad S. Beg
- & Adam C. Yopp
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Article
| Open AccessThe transcription factor ChREBP Orchestrates liver carcinogenesis by coordinating the PI3K/AKT signaling and cancer metabolism
Cancer cells adapt to changes in metabolism to ensure their survival. Here the authors show that glucose responsive transcription factor ChREBP reprograms liver cancer metabolism in part via enhancing the PI3K/AKT signaling.
- Emmanuel Benichou
- , Bolaji Seffou
- & Renaud Dentin
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Article
| Open AccessSerum amyloid A promotes glycolysis of neutrophils during PD-1 blockade resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma
The reasons for why hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unresponsive to anti-PD-1 inhibition in some patients is not fully understood. Here the authors use human samples and mice tumour models to implicate serum amyloid A and STAT3 signalling involvement in the resistance to anti-PD1 immunotherapy in HCC.
- Meng He
- , Yongxiang Liu
- & Ning Lyu
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Article
| Open AccessFusobacterium nucleatum promotes tumor progression in KRAS p.G12D-mutant colorectal cancer by binding to DHX15
Several studies have shown that Fusobacterium nucleatum aggravates colorectal cancer (CRC) development and chemoresistance. Here the authors show that F. nucleatum is enriched preferentially in patients with KRAS p.G12D mutant CRC and that it promotes colorectal tumorigenesis in preclinical models by binding DHX15 on tumor cells.
- Huiyuan Zhu
- , Man Li
- & Huanlong Qin
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Article
| Open AccessMetabolomic machine learning predictor for diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer
Gastric cancer detection by endoscopy is intrusive and time-consuming, and early detection is key to improving survival. Here, the authors propose a metabolite-based model to enable early detection.
- Yangzi Chen
- , Bohong Wang
- & Zeping Hu
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Article
| Open AccessExosomes define a local and systemic communication network in healthy pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
The behavior of exosomes in vivo is not completely elucidated. Here the authors develop a genetically engineered mouse model (ExoBow) to trace the distribution of exosomes, showing local and inter-organ communication networks, either specific or shared between healthy pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
- Bárbara Adem
- , Nuno Bastos
- & Sonia A. Melo
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Article
| Open AccessPlasticity-induced repression of Irf6 underlies acquired resistance to cancer immunotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors represents an important clinical challenge. Here, in a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model of acquired resistance to immunotherapy, the authors show that plasticity-induced repression of Irf6 is associated with tumor cell-intrinsic resistance to cytotoxic T-cell activity.
- Il-Kyu Kim
- , Mark S. Diamond
- & Ben Z. Stanger
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Article
| Open AccessClinical and biomarker results from a phase II trial of combined cabozantinib and durvalumab in patients with chemotherapy-refractory colorectal cancer (CRC): CAMILLA CRC cohort
CAMILLA is a basket trial evaluating cabozantinib plus the ICI durvalumab in chemorefractory gastrointestinal cancer. Here, the authors present the result of the phase II in the colorectal cohort.
- Anwaar Saeed
- , Robin Park
- & Azhar Saeed
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Article
| Open AccessPAF1c links S-phase progression to immune evasion and MYC function in pancreatic carcinoma
MYC drives S-phase progression and immune invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, the authors show that the transcription elongation complex PAF1c controls the competition of different gene sets for RNA polymerase and elongation factors to regulate these MYC-associated mechanisms in PDAC.
- Abdallah Gaballa
- , Anneli Gebhardt-Wolf
- & Martin Eilers
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Article
| Open AccessTissue-location-specific transcription programs drive tumor dependencies in colon cancer
Cancers of the same tissue type are characterized with different molecular features depending on anatomical location. Here, the authors show that proximal and distal colon stem cells have distinct transcriptional programs mediated by the transcription factor CDX2, with differential roles in colon cancers based on anatomical location.
- Lijing Yang
- , Lei Tu
- & Hariharan Easwaran
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Article
| Open AccessHKDC1 promotes tumor immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by coupling cytoskeleton to STAT1 activation and PD-L1 expression
Aberrant expression of the human hexokinase HKDC1 has been observed in patients with cancer. Here the authors report that HKDC1 expression is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma progression and PD-L1 mediated immune evasion.
- Yi Zhang
- , Mingjie Wang
- & Ping Gao
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Article
| Open AccessThe molecular interaction pattern of lenvatinib enables inhibition of wild-type or kinase-mutated FGFR2-driven cholangiocarcinoma
The application of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)−2 selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) with FGFR2 fusions has been reported to lead to mutations in the kinase domain of FGFR2.
Here, the authors report that non-selective TKI, lenvatinib may be an alternative in case of insurmountable side effects to specific FGFR inhibitors or to overcome and delay the development of resistance mediating FGFR2 mutations.
- Stephan Spahn
- , Fabian Kleinhenz
- & Michael Bitzer
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Article
| Open AccessTargeting ALK averts ribonuclease 1-induced immunosuppression and enhances antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have now been approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however only a minority of patients appear to benefit. Here the authors report that RNase1 levels predict response to nivolumab (anti-PD1) in patients with HCC and that RNase 1 overexpression correlates with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in HCC preclinical models.
- Chunxiao Liu
- , Chenhao Zhou
- & Mien-Chie Hung
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Article
| Open AccessLongitudinal plasma proteome profiling reveals the diversity of biomarkers for diagnosis and cetuximab therapy response of colorectal cancer
Resistance to cetuximab is a common feature of colorectal cancer progression. Here, the authors utilize longitudinal proteomic profiling of 147 colorectal cancer patients and find potential biomarkers which can predict treatment response.
- Yan Li
- , Bing Wang
- & Chen Ding
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Article
| Open AccessNuclear to cytoplasmic transport is a druggable dependency in MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma
The MYC oncogene is activated in the majority of human cancers and has proven challenging to target therapeutically. In this study, the authors identify genome-wide MYC synthetic-lethal interactions that could serve as potential alternative targets for the treatment of MYC-driven cancers.
- Anja Deutzmann
- , Delaney K. Sullivan
- & Dean W. Felsher
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Article
| Open AccessReconstitution of human PDAC using primary cells reveals oncogenic transcriptomic features at tumor onset
The cellular origin of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still unclear. Here the authors used human primary acinar and ductal cells to successfully reconstitute PDAC tumorigenesis from both lineages and revealed transcriptional changes during early PDAC progression.
- Yi Xu
- , Michael H. Nipper
- & Pei Wang
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Article
| Open AccessTransposable elements mediate genetic effects altering the expression of nearby genes in colorectal cancer
It has been suggested that transposable elements (TE) play a role in tumourigenesis, but the associated mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors show, using colorectal cancer data and Bayesian Networks, that TEs can mediate the effect of expression quantitative trait loci and contribute to the regulation of cancer-related genes.
- Nikolaos M. R. Lykoskoufis
- , Evarist Planet
- & Emmanouil T. Dermitzakis
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Article
| Open AccessRobustly federated learning model for identifying high-risk patients with postoperative gastric cancer recurrence
Medical data faces isolation and cross-center performance issues. Here, the authors propose a robust federated learning model to identify high-risk postoperative gastric cancer recurrence, achieving promising results across data from four independent medical institutions.
- Bao Feng
- , Jiangfeng Shi
- & Wansheng Long
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Article
| Open AccessEngineering tumor-colonizing E. coli Nissle 1917 for detection and treatment of colorectal neoplasia
There is an unmet medical need for the detection and treatment of early adenomas to prevent their progression to malignant disease. Here the authors show that orally administered E. coli Nissle 1917 can selectively colonize adenomas in mouse models and in patients as a detection tool, as well as deliver immunotherapeutics for colorectal neoplasia treatment.
- Candice R. Gurbatri
- , Georgette A. Radford
- & Tal Danino
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Article
| Open AccessMutant KRAS-activated circATXN7 fosters tumor immunoescape by sensitizing tumor-specific T cells to activation-induced cell death
Oncogenic KRAS mutations can dictate the formation of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Here the authors report that, in KRAS mutant colorectal cancer, the upregulation of circATXN7 in tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes is associated with increased sensitivity to activation-induced cell death and resistance to immunotherapy.”
- Chi Zhou
- , Wenxin Li
- & Huashan Liu
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Article
| Open AccessA transcriptome based molecular classification scheme for cholangiocarcinoma and subtype-derived prognostic biomarker
Cholangiocarcinoma can arise anywhere within the biliary tree and is classified by anatomical locations. Here, the authors utilised RNAseq from 438 CCA patients and propose a molecular classification system independent of location.
- Zhongqi Fan
- , Xinchen Zou
- & Guoyue Lv
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Article
| Open AccessTET2-mediated tumor cGAS triggers endothelial STING activation to regulate vasculature remodeling and anti-tumor immunity in liver cancer
Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway has been associated with the promotion of anti-tumor immunity. Here the authors show that TET2 upregulates tumor cGAS to activate STING in endothelial cells, inducing tumor vascular normalization and enhancing efficacy of anti-PD-L1 alone or combined with IL-2 in liver cancer preclinical models.
- Hongwei Lv
- , Qianni Zong
- & Wen Yang
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Article
| Open AccessAvapritinib-based SAR studies unveil a binding pocket in KIT and PDGFRA
Avapritinib, a potent inhibitor, offers hope for D842V-mutant GIST patients with high response rates; however, resistance and side effects remain challenges. Here, crystal structures shed light on this and reveal a Gα-pocket for drug development.
- A. Teuber
- , T. Schulz
- & D. Rauh
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Article
| Open AccessNeoadjuvant camrelizumab and apatinib combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for locally advanced gastric cancer: a multicenter randomized phase 2 trial
Neoadjuvant treatment represents a therapeutic option for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Here the authors report the results of a randomized phase 2 trial of camrelizumab (anti-PD1) and apatinib (anti-VEGFR2) combined with nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 versus chemotherapy alone as neoadjuvant treatment for LAGC.
- Jian-Xian Lin
- , Yi-Hui Tang
- & Chang-Ming Huang
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Article
| Open AccessKRAS allelic imbalance drives tumour initiation yet suppresses metastasis in colorectal cancer in vivo
The function of wild-type KRAS in KRAS mutant cancers remains to be explored. Here, the authors show that deletion of the tumour-suppressive wild-type Kras in a KRASG12D driven colon cancer model exacerbates tumour initiation in a MAPK dependent manner, while acting to suppress metastasis through impaired immune suppression.
- Arafath K. Najumudeen
- , Sigrid K. Fey
- & Owen J. Sansom
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Article
| Open AccessRBFOX2 deregulation promotes pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis through alternative splicing
The role of alternative splicing in pancreatic cancer (PDAC) development remains to be explored. Here, RBFOX2 is shown to regulate exon splicing events in transcripts encoding proteins involved in cytoskeletal remodelling programs and its downregulation promotes PDAC progression and liver metastasis.
- Michelle Maurin
- , Mohammadreza Ranjouri
- & Karen M. Mann
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Article
| Open AccessProteomics-driven noninvasive screening of circulating serum protein panels for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is often diagnosed at a late stage which limits treatment efficacy. Here, the authors utilise proteomics to identify serum proteomic biomarkers for early diagnosis, and validate using a prospective validation cohort.
- Xiaohua Xing
- , Linsheng Cai
- & Xiaolong Liu
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Article
| Open AccessDeep learning-based phenotyping reclassifies combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma
Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinomas (cHCC-CCA) are challenging to diagnose, as they exhibit features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA). Here, the authors use deep learning to re-classify cHCC-CCA tumours into HCC or ICCA based on histopathology images.
- Julien Calderaro
- , Narmin Ghaffari Laleh
- & Jakob Nikolas Kather
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Article
| Open AccessEnhanced SREBP2-driven cholesterol biosynthesis by PKCλ/ι deficiency in intestinal epithelial cells promotes aggressive serrated tumorigenesis
The underlying mechanisms driving colorectal cancer (CRC) through the serrated route are largely unknown. Here, the authors show that reduced aPKC levels increase cholesterol biosynthesis to promote aggressiveness in serrated tumours and targeting this pathway reduces tumourigenesis in preclinical models of serrated CRC.
- Yu Muta
- , Juan F. Linares
- & Jorge Moscat
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Article
| Open AccessLncRNA MIR200CHG inhibits EMT in gastric cancer by stabilizing miR-200c from target-directed miRNA degradation
The roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in different subtypes of gastric cancer (GC) remain to be characterized. Here, the authors identify lncRNA MIR200CHG as a master regulator of Microsatellite stable (MSS)/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) GC subtype, which inhibits EMT and metastasis by stabilizing miR-200c.
- Yixiao Zhu
- , Chengmei Huang
- & Xin Wang
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Article
| Open AccessMapping and modeling human colorectal carcinoma interactions with the tumor microenvironment
Tumour-microenvironment interactions, pivotal in cancer progression, are challenging to replicate in vitro. Here, the authors use single-cell RNA-seq to analyse these interactions in colorectal cancer within organoid models, and aim to emulate and understand these crucial interactions by introducing specific microenvironmental components.
- Ning Li
- , Qin Zhu
- & Christopher J. Lengner
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Article
| Open AccessSPINK1-induced tumor plasticity provides a therapeutic window for chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma
In liver cancer, the presence of tumour-initiating cell subsets are associated with poorer prognosis and chemotherapy resistance in liver cancer. Here, the authors show that upon treatment with 5-FU or cisplatin, this subset releases SPINK1 which binds EGFR, activating the ERK-CDK4/6-E2F2 signaling cascade and resulting in chemoresistance.
- Ki-Fong Man
- , Lei Zhou
- & Stephanie Ma
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Article
| Open AccessContribution of pks+ E. coli mutations to colorectal carcinogenesis
Common driver mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC) are not always consistent with frequent mutational signatures. Here, the authors analyse spatially annotated colon crypts in CRC patients and find mutational signatures of pks+ E. coli that are consistent with driver mutations, suggesting a potential role of pks+ E. coli in carcinogenesis.
- Bingjie Chen
- , Daniele Ramazzotti
- & Andrea Sottoriva