Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41639092›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Viral mimicry acts as a tumor suppressor in colitis.

Frederikke Larsen, Will Jeong, Daniel Schep, Hayley J Good, Alice E Shin, Liyue Zhang, Mathieu F Derouet, Timothy C Wang, Christina A Castellani, Parisa Shooshtari and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. 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

11 authors.

Frederikke LarsenDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-7944-8958
Will JeongDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Daniel SchepDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Hayley J GoodDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Alice E ShinDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6474-8312
Liyue ZhangDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Mathieu F DerouetDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Timothy C WangDivision of Digestive & Liver Diseases, Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Christina A CastellaniDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2737-0549
Parisa ShooshtariDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2273-1034
Samuel AsfahaDepartment of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. sasfaha2@uwo.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6972-0338

Funding

Understanding stem cell heterogeneity and niche function in intestinal regeneration after irradiationU01DK103155 · NIDDK · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI GUHA, CHANDAN, WANG, TIMOTHY CRAGIN · 2014 to 2023
$4.4M
NIDDK NIH HHS U01 DK103155
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs) comprising nearly 50% of the genome are generally silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic anti-cancer drugs can lead to their re-expression, however, the role of TEs in tumorigenesis is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that TEs and their activation of a viral mimicry response plays an important tumor suppressive role in inflammation. We discovered that both patients and mice with colitis express TEs that lead to a viral mimicry response. Interestingly, this response inhibits stemness of cancer-initiating cells. Further activation of viral mimicry by DNA hypomethylation inhibits tumorigenesis. Conversely, knockout of the anti-viral signaling protein MAVS promotes tumorigenesis and reverses the anti-tumor effect of DNA hypomethylation, confirming a tumor suppressive role of viral mimicry. Consistent with this finding, patients with colitis-associated dysplasia show decreased expression of TEs and interferon-related genes. These findings suggest that activation of viral mimicry inhibits stemness and plays a key tumor suppressive role in inflammation.

Indexed as

ColitisMolecular MimicryAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingAnimalsCarcinogenesisDNA MethylationFemaleGenes, Tumor SuppressorHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutNeoplastic Stem CellsAdaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

Identifiers

PMID41639092
PMCPMC12873232

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

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.