Evidence mapPaperPMID 41408487Full record

ArticleThe EMBO journal2026

Tumor-secreted clusterin promotes cachectic fat wasting via disrupting circadian gene expression and adipogenesis.

Yan Liu, Yehui Zhou, Mengmeng Zhang, Jin Zhang, Jiahui Chen, Long Chen, Jia Tian, Xiang Lv, Xinxing Ma, Jing Xu and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The EMBO journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Yan LiuJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China. llliuyan@sina.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7537-2461
Yehui ZhouDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, P. R. China.
Mengmeng ZhangJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Jin ZhangJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Jiahui ChenJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Long ChenJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Jia TianJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Xiang LvJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China.
Xinxing MaDepartment of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, P. R. China.
Jing XuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China.
Jingwei ShiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Liming ChenJiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, P. R. China. chenliming1981@u.nus.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7782-9824

Funding

Jiangsu Provincial Medical Innovation Center CXZX202224MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 82103099MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 82372991
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fat mass loss is a severe complication in cancer-associated cachexia, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study identifies the tumor-secreted chaperone clusterin (CLU) as a driver of white adipose tissue (WAT) depletion in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). CLU secretion is increased in the serum of cachectic TNBC patients. Mechanistically, extracellular clusterin scavenges 14-3-3 in WAT, inhibiting nucleocytoplasmic translocation of the molecular clock activator BMAL1, and perturbing the transcriptional repression of circadian rhythm genes, including PER3. In tumors, desmosomal protein plakophilin 3 (PKP3) controls CLU stability by competitively binding to its lysosomal receptor LRP2, increasing CLU distribution in plaques and inhibiting its lysosomal degradation. In advanced TNBC patients, increased amounts of secreted CLU, PKP3 and PER3 are associated with cachectic fat loss. Finally, a targeted reduction of PKP3 or CLU in the serum restores PER3 expression rhythmicity and inhibits cachectic adipose wasting in a TNBC mouse model. Taken together, our results identify a targetable a clinically accessible PKP3-clusterin axis that disrupts circadian gene expression in fat tissue in breast cancer.

Indexed as

AdipogenesisCachexiaCircadian RhythmClusterinTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsAdipose Tissue, WhiteAnimalsARNTL Transcription FactorsCell Line, TumorFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceARNTL Transcription FactorsCLU protein, humanClusterinCachexiaCircadianCLUFat Mass LossPKP3

Identifiers

PMID41408487
PMCPMC12864892

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.