Liver tumors form without detectable driver mutations in mice, revealing epigenetic route
Cancers can develop through epigenetic pathways even without driver gene mutations (DGMs), according to a study from Science Tokyo. Researchers uncovered the YAP1–TEAD–TET1 axis, which triggers DNA demethylation and activates multiple oncogenes in hepatocellular carcinoma. Suppressing TET1 reduced tumor formation in mice, while analysis of human liver disease data supported the relevance of these…
Researchers have identified an alternative pathway through which liver tumors can form in mice without the presence of detectable driver mutations. This finding, published in Communications Biology, sheds light on an epigenetic route to cancer development. The study, led by professor Hiroshi Nishina and his team at the Medical Research Laboratory, Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo, reveals the YAP1–TEAD–TET1 axis as a key mechanism that triggers DNA demethylation and activates multiple oncogenes in hepatocellular carcinoma.
By suppressing the TET1 enzyme, which promotes DNA demethylation, the researchers found that tumor formation in mice was significantly reduced. This discovery offers new insights into cancers lacking canonical driver gene mutations and highlights the potential for exploring alternative therapeutic targets.
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