Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34327778›Full record

ArticleCancer science2021

Transcription factor POU4F2 promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion through hedgehog-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Kaibo Guo, Peipei Wang, Leyin Zhang, Yiwen Zhou, Xinyang Dai, Yici Yan, Yuxuan Chen, Harpreet S Wasan, Jieru Yu, Shanming Ruan and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Gut microbiota interplay with autophagy-EMT dynamics in colorectal cancer.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Kaibo GuoThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6348-9785
Peipei WangThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Leyin ZhangThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yiwen ZhouThe Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Xinyang DaiThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yici YanThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yuxuan ChenThe First School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Harpreet S WasanDepartment of Cancer Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Jieru YuSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Shanming RuanDepartment of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1061-5255
Leitao SunDepartment of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1441-3899
Zhejiang Chinese Medical University · CNImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GB

Funding

Education of Zhejiang Province Y202045212Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China 202010344005Zhejiang Chinese Medical University 2021JKJNTZ016AZhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology 2020R410043
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

As a POU homeodomain transcription factor, POU4F2 has been implicated in regulating tumorigenic processes in various cancers. However, the role of POU4F2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Here, we revealed that POU4F2 functions as a tumor promotor in CRC. Bioinformatics analysis in specimens from CRC patients and expression analysis in CRC cell lines showed that POU4F2 was upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in CRC. Depletion of POU4F2 suppressed the metastatic phenotypes of CRC cells, including cell migration, invasion, and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Moreover, depletion of POU4F2 decreased the number of lung metastatic nodes in nude mice. Mechanistically, POU4F2 positively regulated the Hedgehog signaling pathway, as inferred from the downregulation of the expression of sonic Hedgehog homolog, patched 1, Smoothened, and GLI family zinc finger 1 in vitro and vivo following silencing of POU4F2. Furthermore, the SMO agonist SAG reversed the effects of POU4F2 knockdown in CRC. Functionally, POU4F2 contributed to the Hedgehog signaling-regulated activation of the EMT process and promotion of CRC cell migration and invasion. Collectively, these findings elucidated the role of POU4F2 as a tumor promotor in CRC through the regulation of Hedgehog signaling-mediated EMT and suggested that POU4F2 suppression might be a promising therapeutic target in inhibiting CRC metastasis.

Indexed as

Cell MovementNeoplasm InvasivenessAnimalsCell Line, TumorColonColorectal NeoplasmsCyclohexylaminesDown-RegulationEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionGene SilencingHedgehog ProteinsHumansLung NeoplasmsMiceMice, Inbred BALB CMice, NudeCyclohexylaminesHedgehog ProteinsPatched-1 ReceptorRNA, MessengerRNA, Small InterferingSAG compoundSmoothened ReceptorThiophenesTranscription Factor Brn-3Bcolorectal cancerEMTHedgehog pathwaymigration and invasionPOU4F2

Identifiers

PMID34327778
PMCPMC8486210
OpenAlexW3183992163

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.