Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41451844›Full record

ArticleClinical and translational medicine2025

Loss-of-function genetic screen unveils synergistic efficacy of PARG inhibition with combined 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan treatment in colorectal cancer.

Cristina Queralt, Cristina Moreta-Moraleda, Marta Costa, Ferran Grau-Leal, Jeannine Diesch, Carla Vendrell-Ayats, Eva Musulén, Roni H G Wright, Cristina Bugés, José Luis Manzano and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

15 authors.

Cristina QueraltCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-9875-0173
Cristina Moreta-MoraledaCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1090-173X
Marta CostaCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-7718-386X
Ferran Grau-LealCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3072-2250
Jeannine DieschCancer and Leukaemia Epigenetics and Biology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Campus ICO-IGTP-UAB, Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-4667-3468
Carla Vendrell-AyatsCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0009-0000-2740-0918
Eva MusulénHospital Universitari General de Catalunya-Grupo Quironsalud, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-9667-6464
Roni H G WrightDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8194-4614
Cristina BugésCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-2013-1510
José Luis ManzanoCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8987-4577
Sara Cabrero-de Las HerasCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-9364-5371
Johannes ZuberResearch Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-8810-6835
Marcus BuschbeckCancer and Leukaemia Epigenetics and Biology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Campus ICO-IGTP-UAB, Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-3218-4567
Sonia-V ForcalesDepartment of Pathology and Experimental Therapy, Serra Húnter Programme, Immunology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7111-4959
Eva Martínez-BalibreaCARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-4501-7100

Funding

Departament d'Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya 2017-SGR-723Departament d'Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya 2021-SGR-260Departament d'Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya 2023 FI-3 00065Departament d'Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya INVESTIGOFundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer NVES223200DIESFundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer PRYGN222668BUSCFundación Olga TorresHORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-101166838Instituto de Salud Carlos III FI22/00065Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI20/01183Instituto de Salud Carlos III PIE16/00011'la Caixa' Foundation CI24-10180LES BATES BLANQUESMICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE PID2023-146303OB-I00
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major global health concern, partly due to resistance to therapy and the lack of new effective treatments for advanced disease. The combination of 5-Fluorouracil (5FU, a thymidylate synthase inhibitor) and irinotecan (a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor) is widely used in first-line and subsequent treatments. This study aimed to identify novel therapeutic targets to enhance combinatorial therapy, improving treatment efficacy and durability of response.

methodsWe performed a loss-of-function screen using HT29 CRC cell line and a retroviral library containing 7296 shRNAs targeting 912 chromatin genes. Cells were then treated with 5FU and SN38 (the active metabolite of irinotecan) or left untreated for 4 weeks. Genes enriched in resistant clones were identified through next-generation sequencing. Amongst candidate genes, PARG was selected for functional validation.

resultsCRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout (HT29 PARG-KO) resulted in increased global poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation after 5FU and SN38 treatment. PARG depletion led to reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis, particularly after 5FU exposure. Pharmacological PARG inhibition (PDD00017273) synergised with 5FU and SN38 across three CRC models (HT29, DLD1, HT115). In vivo, HT29 PARG-KO xenografts were more sensitive to 5FU. Immunohistochemical analysis of 170 CRC patient tumours revealed that positive PARG expression correlated with poor response to 5FU + Irinotecan, increased liver metastases, and worse long-term survival.

conclusionsOur findings highlight PARG as a promising therapeutic target for CRC, where its inhibition enhances the efficacy of standard chemotherapy. KEY POINTS: LOF screening identified PARG as a modulator of CRC response to FUIRI treatment. HT29 PARG-KO cells showed increased PAR, DNA damage, apoptosis, and 5FU sensitivity. Pharmacological PARG inhibition synergised with 5FU and SN38 in CRC cell lines. HT29 PARG-KO tumours exhibited increased sensitivity to 5FU treatment in vivo. PARG expression in CRC tumours correlated with poorer responses and patient survival.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsColorectal NeoplasmsFluorouracilIrinotecanAnimalsCell Line, TumorDrug SynergismHT29 CellsHumansMiceXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysFluorouracilIrinotecan5FUcolorectal cancerFUIRIirinotecanloss‐of‐function screeningPARGPDD00017273

Identifiers

PMID41451844
PMCPMC12741922

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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.