ArticleNature communications2021
Cancer of unknown primary stem-like cells model multi-organ metastasis and unveil liability to MEK inhibition.
Article in Nature communications, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Establishment and functional characterization of an EGFR-amplified tumoroid from squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary.Human cell · 2026Article
- Chorus line in oral squamous cell carcinoma: How stromal and immune players orchestrate tumor progression (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Overexpression of RUNX2 promotes breast cancer multi-organ metastasis through stabilizing c-Myc.Cell death & disease · 2025Article
- Advancements in Diagnostics and Therapeutics for Cancer of Unknown Primary in the Era of Precision Medicine.MedComm · 2025Review
- Synergic activity of FGFR2 and MEK inhibitors in the treatment of FGFR2-amplified cancers of unknown primary.Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2024Article
- From pre-clinical to translational brain metastasis research: current challenges and emerging opportunities.Clinical & experimental metastasis · 2024Review
- An Observatory for theCancers · 2023Review
- MicroRNA 483-3p overexpression unleashes invasive growth of metastatic colorectal cancer via NDRG1 downregulation and ensuing activation of the ERBB3/AKT axis.Molecular oncology · 2023Article
- Immunotherapy: A new target for cancer cure (Review).Oncology reports · 2023Review
- Review
- From Biology to Diagnosis and Treatment: The Ariadne's Thread in Cancer of Unknown Primary.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Mutated axon guidance gene PLXNB2 sustains growth and invasiveness of stem cells isolated from cancers of unknown primary.EMBO molecular medicine · 2023Article
- Real-world histopathological approach to malignancy of undefined primary origin (MUO) to diagnose cancers of unknown primary (CUPs).Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology · 2023Article
- Is the Non-Coding RNA miR-195 a Biodynamic Marker in the Pathogenesis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma? A Prognostic Meta-Analysis.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Sequential PET/CT and pathological biomarker crosstalk predict response to PD-1 blockers alone or combined with sunitinib in propensity score-matched cohorts of cancer of unknown primary treatment.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Article
- Effects of Vitamin D on the Renin-Angiotensin System and Acute Childhood Pneumonia.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Review
- Communications Is Time for Care: An Italian Monocentric Survey on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Risk Information as Part of Cervical Cancer Screening.Journal of personalized medicine · 2022Article
- Association between Cervical Microbiota and HPV: Could This Be the Key to Complete Cervical Cancer Eradication?Biology · 2022Review
- Balloon Cell Melanoma: Presentation of Four Cases with a Comprehensive Review of the Literature.Dermatopathology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
17 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Cancers of unknown primary (CUPs), featuring metastatic dissemination in the absence of a primary tumor, are a biological enigma and a fatal disease. We propose that CUPs are a distinct, yet unrecognized, pathological entity originating from stem-like cells endowed with peculiar and shared properties. These cells can be isolated in vitro (agnospheres) and propagated in vivo by serial transplantation, displaying high tumorigenicity. After subcutaneous engraftment, agnospheres recapitulate the CUP phenotype, by spontaneously and quickly disseminating, and forming widespread established metastases. Regardless of different genetic backgrounds, agnospheres invariably display cell-autonomous proliferation and self-renewal, mostly relying on unrestrained activation of the MAP kinase/MYC axis, which confers sensitivity to MEK inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. Such sensitivity is associated with a transcriptomic signature predicting that more than 70% of CUP patients could be eligible to MEK inhibition. These data shed light on CUP biology and unveil an opportunity for therapeutic intervention.
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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 OpenQuestion graph.