Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29861296›Full record

ArticleCancer cell2018

The SS18-SSX Fusion Oncoprotein Hijacks BAF Complex Targeting and Function to Drive Synovial Sarcoma.

Matthew J McBride, John L Pulice, Hannah C Beird, Davis R Ingram, Andrew R D'Avino, Jack F Shern, Gregory W Charville, Jason L Hornick, Robert T Nakayama, Enrique M Garcia-Rivera and 9 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cell, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 175 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
175citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
18.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

175 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 261 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
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  7. Review
  8. Diagnostic challenges in synovial sarcoma: a case report.Journal of medical case reports · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Synovial Sarcoma: Molecular Biology, Pathology, and Therapeutic Strategies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. BAF complex-independent gene activation by SS18::SSX.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  18. Review
  19. Choosing the right animal model for sarcoma research.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026
    Review
  20. BRAFOncology research · 2026
    Review

115 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Matthew J McBrideDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Epigenomics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
John L PuliceDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Epigenomics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Hannah C BeirdDepartment of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Davis R IngramDepartment of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Andrew R D'AvinoDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Epigenomics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Jack F ShernPediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Gregory W CharvilleDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Jason L HornickDepartment of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Robert T NakayamaDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center at Dana-Farber/Harvard and Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Enrique M Garcia-RiveraDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Epigenomics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Dejka M AraujoDepartment of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Wei-Lien WangDepartment of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jen-Wei TsaiDepartment of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Michelle YeagleyDepartment of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Andrew J WagnerDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
P Andrew FutrealDepartment of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Javed KhanPediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Alexander J LazarDepartment of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Cigall KadochDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Epigenomics Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. Electronic address: cigall_kadoch@dfci.harvard.edu.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · USBroad Institute · USCenter for Cancer Research · USHarvard University · USBrigham and Women's Hospital · USStanford University · US

Funding

BIOINFORMATICS: SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF PEDIATRIC CANCERSZIABC011002 · NCI · DIVISION OF BASIC SCIENCES - NCI · PI KHAN, JAVED · 2009 to 2025
$9.3M
Genomic dissection of tumor heterogeneity and progressionZIABC011734 · NCI · DIVISION OF BASIC SCIENCES - NCI · PI SHERN, JOHN · 2016 to 2025
$6.8M
Principles of Scientific Citizenship: Ethics, Communication, and Leadership for ScientistsT32GM095450 · NIGMS · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · PI WALKER, SUZANNE · 2011 to 2020
$3.5M
Reversing Oncogenic BAF Complex Structure & Function: New Therapeutic ApproachesDP2CA195762 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · PI KADOCH, CIGALL · 2014 to 2014
$2.6M
Cancer-Specific Targeting and Function of Mammalian SWI/SNF (BAF) Chromatin Remodeling ComplexesR01CA237241 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · PI KADOCH, CIGALL · 2019 to 2023
$2.0M
NCI NIH HHS DP2 CA195762NCI NIH HHS R01 CA237241NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM095450
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is defined by the hallmark SS18-SSX fusion oncoprotein, which renders BAF complexes aberrant in two manners: gain of SSX to the SS18 subunit and concomitant loss of BAF47 subunit assembly. Here we demonstrate that SS18-SSX globally hijacks BAF complexes on chromatin to activate an SS transcriptional signature that we define using primary tumors and cell lines. Specifically, SS18-SSX retargets BAF complexes from enhancers to broad polycomb domains to oppose PRC2-mediated repression and activate bivalent genes. Upon suppression of SS18-SSX, reassembly of BAF47 restores enhancer activation, but is not required for proliferative arrest. These results establish a global hijacking mechanism for SS18-SSX on chromatin, and define the distinct contributions of two concurrent BAF complex perturbations.

Indexed as

Cell Line, TumorChromatinEnhancer Elements, GeneticExome SequencingGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGene Knockdown TechniquesHEK293 CellsHumansOncogene Proteins, FusionSarcoma, SynovialSMARCB1 ProteinChromatinOncogene Proteins, FusionSMARCB1 ProteinSS18-SSX1 fusion proteinATP-dependent chromatin remodelingbivalencychromatinenhancersfusion oncoproteinpediatric cancerpolycombSWI/SNF (BAF) complexessynovial sarcoma

Identifiers

PMID29861296
PMCPMC6791822
OpenAlexW2806892701

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.