Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40485587›Full record

ArticleJCI insight2025

FTO inhibition enhances the therapeutic index of radiation therapy in head and neck cancer.

Lu Ji, Leighton Pu, Jinglong Wang, Hongbin Cao, Stavros Melemenidis, Subarna Sinha, Li Guan, Eyiwunmi E Laseinde, Rie von Eyben, Sara A Richter and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCI insight, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. FTO-modulated mJournal of translational medicine · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. 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

17 authors.

Lu JiDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Leighton PuDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Jinglong WangDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Hongbin CaoDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Stavros MelemenidisDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Subarna SinhaDepartment of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Li GuanDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Eyiwunmi E LaseindeDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Rie von EybenDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Sara A RichterDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Jin-Min NamDivision of Systemic Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Christina KongDepartment of Pathology.
Kerriann M CaseyDepartment of Comparative Medicine, and.
Edward E GravesDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Richard L FrockDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Quynh Thu LeDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.
Erinn B RankinDepartment of Radiation Oncology and.

Funding

Translational Biology CoreP01CA257907 · NCI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Quynh-Thu Xuan Le · 2022 to 2026
$12.0M
The role of the RNA demethylase FTO in metabolic reprogramming of renal cell carcinomaR01CA272432 · NCI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Erinn B Rankin · 2023 to 2026
$1.8M
NCI NIH HHS P01 CA257907NCI NIH HHS R01 CA272432
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite aggressive chemoradiation treatment, the overall survival rate for patients with HPV- head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains poor, highlighting the urgent need for more effective drug-radiotherapy combinations to improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy (RT). The fat mass and obesity-related gene (FTO) is emerging as a promising cancer therapeutic target; however, its role in the RT response has been underexplored. In our study, we found that both genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of FTO enhanced the efficacy of RT in human and mouse HNSCC tumor xenografts. Mechanistically, inhibition of FTO improved the RT response in HPV- HNSCC cells, which was associated with increased DNA damage, reduced efficiency of homology directed repair, and decreased formation of RAD51 homolog 1 (RAD51) foci. Importantly, pharmacologic inhibition of FTO did not exacerbate radiation-induced oral mucositis, a significant normal-tissue toxicity associated with HNSCC RT. In summary, our results indicate a role for FTO in regulating homologous recombination while identifying FTO as a potential therapeutic target to enhance the therapeutic index of RT in HPV- HNSCC treatment.

Indexed as

Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTOHead and Neck NeoplasmsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAnimalsCell Line, TumorDNA DamageFemaleHumansMicePapillomavirus InfectionsRad51 RecombinaseXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysAlpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTOFTO protein, humanRAD51 protein, humanRad51 RecombinaseHead and neck cancerOncologyRadiation therapyTherapeutics

Identifiers

PMID40485587
PMCPMC12220955

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.