Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40408469›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Image-guided targeting of mitochondrial metabolism sensitizes pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors to low-dose radiotherapy.

Wenxi Xia, Esther Need, Carmine Schiavone, Neetu Singh, Jiemin Huang, Matthew Goff, Joseph Cave, David L Gillespie, Randy L Jensen, Mark D Pagel and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2025. 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
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Current Perspectives on Radiosensitizers in Cancer Radiotherapy.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Wenxi XiaDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-2907-5005
Esther NeedDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-0060-5504
Carmine SchiavoneMathematics in Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Neetu SinghDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Jiemin HuangDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9895-8457
Matthew GoffDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Joseph CaveMathematics in Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0177-875X
David L GillespieDepartment of Neurosurgery, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7375-0262
Randy L JensenDepartment of Neurosurgery, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
Mark D PagelDepartment of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8109-3995
Prashant DograMathematics in Medicine Program, Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6722-7371
Sixiang ShiDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8354-7620
Shreya GoelDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8927-8380

Funding

UTAH REGIONAL CANCER CENTERP30CA042014 · NCI · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · PI Jared P Rutter · 1986 to 2026
$72.6M
Artificial intelligence-integrated mechanistic modeling for rational design of nanoparticles to improve organ targeting and safetyR01EB035545 · NIBIB · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI Prashant Dogra, Achraf Noureddine · 2024 to 2026
$1.3M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA042014NIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB035545
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tumor hypoxia leads to radioresistance and markedly worse clinical outcomes for pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs). Our transcriptomics and bioenergetic profiling data reveal that mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is a metabolic vulnerability of MRT and can be exploited to overcome consumptive hypoxia by repurposing an FDA-approved antimalarial drug, atovaquone (AVO). We then establish the utility of oxygen-enhanced-multispectral optoacoustic tomography, a label-free, ionizing radiation-free imaging modality, to visualize and quantify spatiotemporal changes in tumor hypoxia in response to AVO. We show a potent but transient increase in tumor oxygenation upon AVO treatment that results in complete elimination of tumors in all tested mice when combined with 10-gray radiotherapy, a dose several times lower than the current clinic standard. Last, we use translational mathematical modeling for systematic evaluation of dosing regimens, administration timing, and therapeutic synergy in a virtual patient cohort. Together, our work establishes a framework for safe and pediatric patient-friendly image-guided metabolic radiosensitization of rhabdoid tumors.

Indexed as

MitochondriaRadiotherapy, Image-GuidedRhabdoid TumorAnimalsCell Line, TumorChildHumansMiceOxidative PhosphorylationXenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Identifiers

PMID40408469
PMCPMC12101499

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.