Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40954257›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2025

Single-cell multiomic modelling of early metastatic events promoted by the extracellular matrix.

Hyun Jin Lee, Jun Hyeong Lee, Junho Kang, Kyeonghui Kim, Youngwon Cho, Jihyun Park, Sang-Hyun Song, Joonha Kwon, Young-Joon Kim, Woong-Yang Park and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

14 authors.

Hyun Jin Lee *Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Jun Hyeong Lee *Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Junho KangGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Kyeonghui KimDepartment of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Youngwon ChoCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jihyun ParkCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Hyun SongCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Joonha KwonBioinformatics Branch, Division of Cancer Data Science, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Young-Joon KimDepartment of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Woong-Yang ParkGeninus Inc, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Tae-You KimCancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jong-Eun ParkGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. jp24@kaist.ac.kr.
Pilnam KimDepartment of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. pkim@kaist.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5592-4599
Jung Kyoon ChoiDepartment of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. jungkyoon@kaist.ac.kr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer metastasis, primarily driven by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is responsible for most cancer-related mortalities. Traditional pre-clinical models fail to fully capture mesenchymal characteristics due to the loss of human stroma. The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in EMT, yet conventional in vitro models often rely on defined ECM components, which may not adequately replicate the human physiological ECM niche.

methodsTo mimic the in situ dissemination of cancer cells, we employed a patient-derived extracellular matrix (pdECM). We transitioned the culture matrix for patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids from a basement membrane extract (BME) to a patient-derived ECM (pdECM). We performed single-cell multiomic analyses, integrating transcriptomic and epigenomic data, to investigate changes in organoid phenotypes and reconstruct the EMT trajectory.

resultsOrganoids cultured in the pdECM exhibited increased tumor cell dissemination and motility, resembling in situ lesions without exogenous ligand treatment. Single-cell multiomic analysis revealed TNF-α signaling as an early metastatic event in the EMT trajectory. Epigenomic changes led to increased accessibility of AP-1 complex target genes, particularly MMP7, which promoted an invasive phenotype. Our multimodal computational approach distinguished early and late EMT states, demonstrating that pdECM-induced EMT occurs independently of traditional EMT master regulators. Notably, pdECM organoids exhibited a partial EMT phenotype, characterized by hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal states.

conclusionThis study presents an advanced in vitro model that closely recapitulates in situ tumorigenesis and provides novel insights into the metastatic cascade. The pdECM system enables the reconstruction of EMT dynamics, highlighting the critical role of ECM composition in metastasis and offering a physiologically relevant platform for the development of targeted therapies.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionExtracellular MatrixHumansNeoplasm MetastasisOrganoidsSingle-Cell AnalysisTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaTumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Identifiers

PMID40954257
PMCPMC12644670

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LicenceCC BY
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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.