Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39304765›Full record

ArticleNature structural & molecular biology2025

Super-silencer perturbation by EZH2 and REST inhibition leads to large loss of chromatin interactions and reduction in cancer growth.

Ying Zhang, Kaijing Chen, Seng Chuan Tang, Yichao Cai, Akiko Nambu, Yi Xiang See, Chaoyu Fu, Anandhkumar Raju, Benjamin Lebeau, Zixun Ling and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature structural & molecular biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing 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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Targeting the 3D genome by anthracyclines for chemotherapeutic effects.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2025
    Review
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

20 authors.

Ying Zhang *Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Kaijing Chen *School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Seng Chuan Tang *Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Yichao Cai *Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5142-4167
Akiko NambuCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Yi Xiang SeeCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-8833
Chaoyu FuMechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Anandhkumar RajuLaboratory of NF-κB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
Benjamin LebeauSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Zixun LingCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Jia Jia ChanCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Yvonne TayCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Marek MutwilSchool of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7848-0126
Manikandan LakshmananLaboratory of NF-κB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
Greg Tucker-KelloggDepartment of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8407-9251
Wee Joo ChngCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Daniel G TenenCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6423-3888
Motomi OsatoCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Vinay TergaonkarLaboratory of NF-κB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3617-3232
Melissa Jane FullwoodCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. mfullwood@ntu.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0321-7865

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human silencers have been shown to regulate developmental gene expression. However, the functional importance of human silencers needs to be elucidated, such as whether they can form 'super-silencers' and whether they are linked to cancer progression. Here, we show two silencer components of the FGF18 gene can cooperate through compensatory chromatin interactions to form a super-silencer. Double knockout of two silencers exhibited synergistic upregulation of FGF18 expression and changes in cell identity. To perturb the super-silencers, we applied combinational treatment of an enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitor GSK343, and a repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor inhibitor, X5050 ('GR'). Interestingly, GR led to severe loss of topologically associated domains and loops, which were associated with reduced CTCF and TOP2A mRNA levels. Moreover, GR synergistically upregulated super-silencer-controlled genes related to cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA damage, leading to anticancer effects in vivo. Overall, our data demonstrated a super-silencer example and showed that GR can disrupt super-silencers, potentially leading to cancer ablation.

Indexed as

ChromatinEnhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinFibroblast Growth FactorsNeoplasmsRepressor ProteinsAnimalsApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceRE1-Silencing Transcription FactorChromatinEnhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinEZH2 protein, humanFibroblast Growth FactorsRE1-Silencing Transcription FactorRepressor Proteins

Identifiers

PMID39304765
PMCPMC11746141

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.