Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41668292›Full record

ArticleClinical and molecular hepatology2026

Targeting ER lipid raft-associated 1 reveals a coordinated cholesterol-dependent vulnerability in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Yiming Zhang, Yushan Hou, Xinxin Wang, Kaikun Xu, Pei Jiang, Siqi Wang, Huimin Kang, Hu Zhang, Jingzhuo Jin, Xiaofen Huang and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and molecular hepatology, 2026. 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

17 authors.

Yiming ZhangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Yushan HouState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Xinxin WangDepartment of Pathology, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Kaikun XuState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Pei JiangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Siqi WangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Huimin KangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Hu ZhangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Jingzhuo JinSchool of Basic Medical Sciences, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
Xiaofen HuangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Zifeng LiuState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Songpeng YangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Jiaqi LiuCollege of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
Lingqiang ZhangState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Fuchu HeState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Chunyan TianState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.
Aihua SunState Key Laboratory of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Research Unit of Proteomics Driven Cancer Precision Medicine (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China.

Funding

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences 2019-I2M-5-063Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine YN2022DB04National Key Research and Development Program of China 2024YFA1307603National Key Research and Development Program of China 2024YFA1307704National Natural Science Foundation of China 82372835
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimsDysregulated cholesterol metabolism is a hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that drives tumor initiation and progression. However, clinical targeting of cholesterol metabolism has yielded limited benefits due to stringent feedback in tumor cells. Identifying a central mediator capable of restoring cholesterol homeostasis within the cell's intrinsically fine-tuned regulatory framework is urgently needed.

methodsWe integrated a proteomic dataset from patients with cholesterol-dysregulated HCC into a global cholesterol metabolic regulatory network to identify potential therapeutic targets for disrupted cholesterol homeostasis. The prognostic significance of the candidate targets was further validated in an independent cohort through immunohistochemistry. Functional and mechanistic studies were conducted in vitro using HCC cell lines and in vivo using mouse models. The pharmacological efficacy of the candidate agent was evaluated in both subcutaneous and orthotopic HCC mouse models.

resultsER lipid raft-associated 1 (ERLIN1), a pivotal regulator of cholesterol metabolism reprogramming, was identified as an independent favorable prognostic indicator in HCC. ERLIN1 constrains HCC progression both in vitro and in vivo by stabilizing the INSIG1-SCAP-SREBP2 axis and maintaining the metabolic balance of intracellular cholesterol. Under hypoxia, impaired factor-inhibiting hypoxia-1-dependent hydroxylation of ASB11 at asparagine residues 90 and 92 enhances ASB11-mediated ERLIN1 degradation. Pharmacological targeting of this axis using zoledronic acid (ZoA) attenuated HCC progression by weakening the ASB11-ERLIN1 interaction and restoring cholesterol homeostasis.

conclusionsERLIN1 represents a druggable metabolic vulnerability in cholesterol-dysregulated HCC. Targeting the ASB11-ERLIN1 axis with the clinically approved ZoA reestablishes cholesterol homeostasis and offers a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome the current limitations of cholesterol-targeted HCC therapies.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularCholesterolLiver NeoplasmsMembrane ProteinsAnimalsCell Line, TumorHumansIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsMicePrognosisProteomicsSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2CholesterolINSIG1 protein, humanIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsMembrane ProteinsSREBP cleavage-activating proteinSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2Cholesterol metabolism reprogrammingERLIN1Factor inhibiting hypoxia inducible factorHypoxia

Identifiers

PMID41668292
PMCPMC13129754

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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.