Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40633623›Full record

ArticleGastroenterology2026

Chemical Perturbations Impacting Histone Acetylation Govern Colorectal Cancer Differentiation.

Pornlada Likasitwatanakul, Zhixin Li, Paul Doan, Sandor Spisak, Akhouri Kishore Raghawan, Qi Liu, Priscilla Liow, Sunwoo Lee, David Chen, Pratyusha Bala and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Gastroenterology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Targeting the Epigenome in Colorectal Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
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  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Pornlada LikasitwatanakulDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Zhixin LiDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Paul DoanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sandor SpisakDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
Akhouri Kishore RaghawanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Qi LiuDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Priscilla LiowDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Sunwoo LeeDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
David ChenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pratyusha BalaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Pranshu SahgalDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Daulet AitymbayevDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Jennifer S ThalappillilDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Malvina PapanastasiouBroad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
William HawkinsBroad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Steven A CarrBroad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Haeseong ParkDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
James M ClearyDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
Jun QiDepartment of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: jun_qi@dfci.harvard.edu.
Nilay S SethiDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: nilay_sethi@dfci.harvard.edu.

Funding

Molecular mechanisms of developmental reprogramming in colorectal cancerR01CA292507 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · PI Nilay Sethi · 2024 to 2026
$2.8M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA292507
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND &

aimsAberrant epigenetic programs that suppress differentiation and enhance plasticity drive colorectal cancer (CRC), yet the molecular determinants underlying these processes remain elusive. We aimed to identify and characterize epigenetic regulators of CRC differentiation, uncovering mechanisms that reprogram cancer cell states.

methodsA small-molecule library targeting epigenetic regulators was screened using an endogenous dual-reporter system. We evaluated lead compounds in mouse and human CRC models via histopathology, cellular assays, epigenetic studies, mass spectrometry-based histone modification profiling, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Integrative analyses of drug-induced chromatin dynamics, gene expression, target engagement, and histone marks elucidated molecular mechanisms. Focused genetic screens were conducted to identify regulators of histone deacetylase (HDAC)1/2-mediated differentiation.

resultsWe found that inhibition of the HDAC1/2 catalytic domain promotes CRC differentiation and suppresses tumor growth. Unbiased profiling of histone modifications identified acetylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 protein subunit (H3K27ac) and acetylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 protein subunit (H3K9ac) as critical regulatory marks, with genome-wide analyses demonstrating their enrichment at HDAC1/2-bound regions associated with open chromatin and up-regulated differentiation genes. Disrupting H3K27ac by targeted degradation of acetyltransferase E1A binding protein P300 reversed the differentiation phenotype induced by HDAC1/2 inhibition in a patient-derived CRC organoid. Genetic screens revealed that death-associated protein kinase 3 contributes to H3K27ac-mediated CRC differentiation induced by HDAC1/2 inhibition.

conclusionsOur findings establish histone acetylation as a chemically targetable mechanism governing CRC cell fate and demonstrate that epigenetic reprogramming can be leveraged as a therapeutic strategy. By identifying HDAC1/2 inhibition as a driver of differentiation and revealing H3K27ac as a key regulatory mark, this study provides a framework for targeting chromatin-modifying enzymes to counteract CRC plasticity and improve treatment outcomes.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsCell DifferentiationColorectal NeoplasmsEpigenesis, GeneticHistone Deacetylase InhibitorsHistonesAcetylationAnimalsCell Line, TumorGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHistone Deacetylase 1Histone Deacetylase 2HumansMiceSmall Molecule LibrariesAntineoplastic AgentsHDAC1 protein, humanHdac1 protein, mouseHDAC2 protein, humanHistone Deacetylase 1Histone Deacetylase 2Histone Deacetylase InhibitorsHistonesSmall Molecule LibrariesColorectal CancerEpigenetic RegulationIntestinal DifferentiationStem Cell

Identifiers

PMID40633623
PMCPMC13148549

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.