Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37641131›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2023

SMC3 epigenetic silencing regulates Rab27a expression and drives pancreatic cancer progression.

Nuno Bastos, Stéphanie A Castaldo, Bárbara Adem, José C Machado, Carlos A Melo, Sonia A Melo

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2023. 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
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 33% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Rab27: Molecular switch of tumor exosome secretion (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Nuno Bastosi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
Stéphanie A Castaldoi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
Bárbara Ademi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
José C Machadoi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
Carlos A MeloThe Gurdon Institute and Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Sonia A Meloi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. smelo@i3s.up.pt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2291-4263
Universidade do Porto · PTi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto · PTUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to soon surpass colorectal cancer as a leading cause of cancer mortality in both males and females in the US, only lagging behind lung cancer. The lethality of PDAC is driven by late diagnosis and inefficient therapies. The complex biology of PDAC involves various cellular components, including exosomes that carry molecular information between cells. Thus, recipient cells can be reprogrammed, impacting tumorigenesis. Rab27a is a GTPase responsible for the last step of exosomes biogenesis. Hence, dissecting the mechanisms that regulate the expression of Rab27a and that control exosomes biogenesis can provide fundamental insights into the molecular underpinnings regulating PDAC progression.

methodsTo assess the mechanism that regulates Rab27a expression in PDAC, we used PDAC cell lines. The biological significance of these findings was validated in PDAC genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and human samples.

resultsIn this work we demonstrate in human PDAC samples and GEMMs that Rab27a expression decreases throughout the development of the disease, and that Rab27a knockout promotes disease progression. What is more, we demonstrate that Rab27a expression is epigenetically regulated in PDAC. Treatment with demethylating agents increases Rab27a expression specifically in human PDAC cell lines. We found that SMC3, a component of the cohesin complex, regulates Rab27a expression in PDAC. SMC3 methylation is present in human PDAC specimens and treatment with demethylating agents increases SMC3 expression in human PDAC cell lines. Most importantly, high levels of SMC3 methylation are associated with a worse prognosis in PDAC. Mechanistically, we identified an enhancer region within the Rab27a gene that recruits SMC3, and modulates Rab27a expression.

conclusionOverall, we dissected a mechanism that regulates Rab27a expression during PDAC progression and impacts disease prognosis.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalPancreatic NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Cycle ProteinsChondroitin Sulfate ProteoglycansChromosomal Proteins, Non-HistoneEpigenesis, GeneticFemaleHumansMaleMicePancreasrab27 GTP-Binding ProteinsCell Cycle ProteinsChondroitin Sulfate ProteoglycansChromosomal Proteins, Non-HistoneRab27a protein, mouserab27 GTP-Binding ProteinsSMC3 protein, humanExosomesPancreatic cancerRab27aSMC3

Identifiers

PMID37641131
PMCPMC10463307
OpenAlexW4386223645

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.