Cancer Biology

TAK1-mediated phosphorylation of PLCE1 represses PIP2 hydrolysis to impede esophageal squamous cancer metastasis

1. Qianqian Ju
2. Wenjing Sheng
3. Meichen Zhang
4. Jing Chen
5. Liucheng Wu
6. Xiaoyu Liu
7. Wentao Fang
8. Hui Shi
9. Cheng Sun

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This work provides solid evidence that Transforming Growth Factor β Activated Kinase 1 (TAK1) regulates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tumor proliferation and metastasis. The findings are valuable to the field of molecular tumor biology in general and to the understanding of ESCC tumor invasiveness and metastatic potential.

Reviewed by eLife

A new potential strategy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treatment by generating serum-based antibodies from tumor-exposed mice

1. Zheng Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study provides a valuable strategy for treating mouse cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC) with serum derived from mCSCC-exposed mice. The exploration of serum-derived antibodies as a potential therapy for curing cancer is particularly promising but the study provides incomplete evidence for specific effects of mCSCC-binding serum antibodies. This study will be of interest to scientists seeking a novel immunotherapeutic strategy in cancer therapy.

Reviewed by eLife

Inhibition of O-GlcNAc transferase activates type I interferon-dependent antitumor immunity by bridging cGAS-STING pathway

1. Jianwen Chen
2. Bao Zhao
3. Hong Dong
4. Tianliang Li
5. Xiang Cheng
6. Wang Gong
7. Jing Wang
8. Junran Zhang
9. Gang Xin
10. Yanbao Yu
11. Yu L Lei
12. Jennifer D Black
13. Zihai Li
14. Haitao Wen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The author demonstrates that deficiency or pharmacological inhibition of O-glcNac transferase (OGT) enhances tumor immunity in colorectal cancer models. This useful study unveils that OGT deficiency triggers a DNA damage response that can affect immune status in colorectal cancers. It provides convincing evidence showing that OGT-mediated processing of HSF1 is crucial in maintaining genomic integrity.

Reviewed by eLife

Engineering PEG10-assembled endogenous virus-like particles with genetically encoded neoantigen peptides for cancer vaccination

1. Ruijing Tang
2. Luobin Guo
3. Tingyu Wei
4. Tingting Chen
5. Huan Yang
6. Honghao Ye
7. Fangzhou Lin
8. Yongyi Zeng
9. Haijun Yu
10. Zhixiong Cai
11. Xiaolong Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study presents a valuable strategy to co-deliver peptides and adjuvants to antigen-presenting cells by engineering the Virus-like particle (VLP). The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is convincing, but the antitumour efficacy is unimpressive and would benefit from more antitumor experiments. The work will be of broad interest to bioengineers and medical biologists focusing on cancer vaccines.

Reviewed by eLife

Mutant mice lacking alternatively spliced p53 isoforms unveil Ackr4 as a male-specific prognostic factor in Myc-driven B-cell lymphomas

1. Anne Fajac
2. Iva Simeonova
3. Julia Leemput
4. Marc Gabriel
5. Aurélie Morin
6. Vincent Lejour
7. Annaïg Hamon
8. Jeanne Rakotopare
9. Wilhelm Vaysse-Zinkhöfer
10. Eliana Eldawra
11. Marina Pinskaya
12. Antonin Morillon
13. Jean-Christophe Bourdon
14. Boris Bardot
15. Franck Toledo

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study using engineered mouse models provides a first and compelling demonstration of a pathogenic phenotype associated with lack of expression of p53AS, an isoform of the p53 protein with a different C-terminus than canonical p53. The role of this isoform has been elusive so far and this first demonstration represents a substantial advance in our understanding of the complex role(s) of p53 isoforms. The revised manuscript adequately addresses previous concerns.

Reviewed by eLife

BMP antagonist CHRDL2 enhances the cancer stem‐cell phenotype and increases chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer

1. Eloise Clarkson
2. Annabelle Lewis

Reviewed by Review Commons

Targeting ribosome biogenesis as a novel therapeutic approach to overcome EMT-related chemoresistance in breast cancer

1. Yi Ban
2. Yue Zou
3. Yingzhuo Liu
4. Sharrel Lee
5. Robert B Bednarczyk
6. Jianting Sheng
7. Yuliang Cao
8. Stephen TC Wong
9. Dingcheng Gao

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study presents a valuable finding that pathways associated with ribosome biogenesis (RiBi) are activated during transition cell states and targeting ribosome biogenesis could be a viable approach to overcome EMT-related chemoresistance in BCs. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is quite solid, although inclusion of additional experimental support that blocking of EMT/MET is necessary for the synergistic effect of standard chemotherapy together with RiBi blockage would have strengthened the study. The work will be of interest to scientists working on breast cancer.

Reviewed by eLife

Inhibition of ULK1/2 and KRASG12C controls tumor growth in preclinical models of lung cancer

1. Phaedra C Ghazi
2. Kayla T O'Toole
3. Sanjana Srinivas Boggaram
4. Michael T Scherzer
5. Mark R Silvis
6. Yun Zhang
7. Madhumita Bogdan
8. Bryan D Smith
9. Guillermina Lozano
10. Daniel L Flynn
11. Eric L Snyder
12. Conan G Kinsey
13. Martin McMahon

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This is a mechanistic study showing the effect of combining inhibition of autophagy (through ULK1/2) and KRAS (using sotorasib) on KRAS mutant NSCLC making the study valuable to cancer biologists and more broadly in a clinical setting. The evidence generated by GEM mouse models and cell lines is solid but could be further strengthened by increasing the mouse cohort size. This study holds translational relevance beyond NSCLC to other indications that carry KRAS mutations.

Reviewed by eLife

Direct visualization of emergent metastatic features within an ex vivo model of the tumor microenvironment

1. Libi Anandi
2. Jeremy Garcia
3. Manon Ros
4. Libuše Janská
5. Josephine Liu
6. Carlos Carmona-Fontaine

Reviewed by Review Commons

Tumor-infiltrating nerves functionally alter brain circuits and modulate behavior in a mouse model of head-and-neck cancer

1. Jeffrey Barr
2. Austin Walz
3. Anthony C Restaino
4. Moran Amit
5. Sarah M Barclay
6. Elisabeth G Vichaya
7. William C Spanos
8. Robert Dantzer
9. Sebastien Talbot
10. Paola D Vermeer

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important research describes the sensory innervation of oral tumors, with potential implications for understanding cancer-induced alterations in motivation and anhedonia in a mouse model. These findings are solid and are supported by anatomical and transcriptional changes in the tumor that suggest sensory innervation, neural tracing, and neural activity measurements. While nerve innervation of the tumor and associated increase in brain activity is well-supported, future studies could enhance specificity by employing more targeted genetic and pharmacological tools to manipulate these circuits selectively.

Reviewed by eLife