Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40274766›Full record

ArticleOncogenesis2025

MYCN and KAT2A form a feedforward loop to drive an oncogenic transcriptional program in neuroblastoma.

Zhihui Liu, Jason J Hong, Xiyuan Zhang, Carly M Sayers, Wendy Fang, Man Xu, Sydney Loria, Sakereh Maskal, Haiyan Lei, Haitao Wu and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncogenesis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Molecular regulation and therapeutic targeting ofFrontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    Review
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

14 authors.

Zhihui LiuPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. liuzhihu@mail.nih.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5876-0614
Jason J HongPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4631-131X
Xiyuan ZhangPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Carly M SayersPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8554-0281
Wendy FangPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Man XuPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8449-1203
Sydney LoriaPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Sakereh MaskalPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Haiyan LeiPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Haitao WuChemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Rolf SwensonChemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Jordan L MeierChemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.
Jack F ShernPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5579-7625
Carol J ThielePediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA. thielec@mail.nih.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2869-7690

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The oncoprotein MYCN drives malignancy in various cancer types, including neuroblastoma (NB). However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying its transcriptional activity and oncogenic function, as well as effective strategies to target it, remains limited. We discovered that MYCN interacts with the transcriptional coactivator KAT2A, and this interaction significantly contributes to MYCN's activity in NB. Our genome-wide analyses indicate MYCN recruits KAT2A to bind to DNA, thereby transcriptionally regulating genes associated with ribosome biogenesis and RNA processing. Moreover, we identified that MYCN directly activates KAT2A transcription, while KAT2A acetylates MYCN, increasing MYCN protein stability. Consequently, MYCN and KAT2A establish a feedforward loop that effectively regulates global gene expression, governing the malignant NB phenotype. Treatment of NB cells with a KAT2A Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) degrader reduces MYCN protein levels, antagonizes MYCN-mediated gene transcription regulation and suppresses cell proliferation. This study highlights the potential of transcriptional cofactors as viable targets for developing anti-MYCN therapies.

Identifiers

PMID40274766
PMCPMC12022051

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.