Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40975064›Full record

ArticleCell reports. Medicine2025

Drug screening in 3D microtumors reveals DDR1/2-MAPK12-GLI1 as a vulnerability in cancer-associated fibroblasts.

Nao Nishida-Aoki, Songli Zhu, Marina Chan, Yuqi Kang, Maihi Fujita, Xiuyun Jiang, Maxwell McCabe, Joel M Vaz, Nancy E Davidson, Cyrus M Ghajar and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports. Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. 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

14 authors.

Nao Nishida-AokiHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Songli ZhuHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Marina ChanHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Yuqi KangHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Maihi FujitaDepartment of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Xiuyun JiangDepartment of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Maxwell McCabeDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Joel M VazHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Nancy E DavidsonClinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Cyrus M GhajarHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Kirk HansenDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Alana L WelmDepartment of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Venu G PillarisettyDepartment of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Taranjit S GujralHuman Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: tgujral@fredhutch.org.

Funding

Translational Bioimaging Core Shared ResourceP30CA015704 · NCI · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER · PI Eric Collisson · 1985 to 2026
$296.4M
Multiplexed drug testing of micro-dissected tumors using a microfluidic platform with integrated electrochemical aptasensorsR01CA272677 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI ALBERT FOLCH · 2023 to 2026
$2.6M
Targeting PLK1 signaling for the treatment of fibrolamellar carcinomaR01CA273081 · NCI · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER · PI Taran Singh Gujral · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA015704NCI NIH HHS R01 CA272677NCI NIH HHS R01 CA273081
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Interactions between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells are critical for tumor biology and treatment response. We compare drug screening results from conventional 2D cancer cell lines with 3D tumor tissues and find that, on average, three times more drugs are effective in 3D microtumors. We confirm the effectiveness of doramapimod, a compound that reduces microtumor viability and suppresses tumor growth in mouse models but has no effect on cancer cell growth in monolayers. Mechanistically, doramapimod targets DDR1/2 and MAPK12 kinases in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), decreasing extracellular matrix (ECM) production and enhancing interferon signaling. These kinases regulate ECM through GLI1 activity in CAFs, independently of canonical hedgehog signaling. Inhibiting the DDR1/2-MAPK12-GLI axis enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in patient tumor slices and preclinical models. These findings highlight the importance of DDR1/2-MAPK12-GLI axis in CAF function and demonstrate the utility of 3D tissue models in identifying microenvironment-specific therapeutic targets.

Indexed as

Cancer-Associated FibroblastsDiscoidin Domain Receptor 1Discoidin Domain Receptor 2NeoplasmsZinc Finger Protein GLI1AnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationDrug Screening Assays, AntitumorExtracellular MatrixHumansMiceSignal TransductionTumor MicroenvironmentAntineoplastic AgentsDDR1 protein, humanDDR2 protein, humanDiscoidin Domain Receptor 1Discoidin Domain Receptor 2GLI1 protein, humanZinc Finger Protein GLI1CAFfunctional screeninghedgehog pathwaykinase signalingmicrotumorprecision oncologytumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID40975064
PMCPMC12629827

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.