Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41888107›Full record

ArticleSignal transduction and targeted therapy2026

Short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase initiates mtDNA demethylation and leakage to fuel antitumor immunity in colorectal cancer.

Fang Yang, Meng Wang, Shaofan Hu, Xu Guan, Kun Zhao, Yong Zhou, Hui Yao, Tianying Zhang, Liuli Li, Yuan Gao and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2026. 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. 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

15 authors.

Fang Yang *Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Meng Wang *Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Shaofan Hu *Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Xu Guan *Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Kun ZhaoDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Yong ZhouChongqing Weisiteng Biotech Transnational Research Institute, Chongqing, China.
Hui YaoJinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China.
Tianying ZhangDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Liuli LiDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Yuan GaoDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Sijie ZhaoDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Nan LiuDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Weidong XiaoDepartment of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0356-7075
Yuancai XiangDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China. yuancaix@swmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3129-2635
Hongming MiaoDepartment of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China. hongmingmiao@sina.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6355-3612

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Reprogramming of lipid metabolism and cyclic GMP‒AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling is associated with cancer development. However, whether and how fatty acid metabolism regulates the cGAS‒STING pathway in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADS) is aberrantly deficient in CRC cells and is associated with cancer progression in human patients. We further revealed that ablation of ACADS promoted CRC progression by orchestrating the cGAS‒STING signaling-dependent immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in mouse xenografts and AOM/DSS-induced CRC models. Mechanistically, ACADS deficiency suppressed cGAS‒STING signaling by inhibiting mtDNA leakage in a nonmetabolic manner. ACADS binds to and inhibits mitochondrial DNMT1 (mito-DNMT1)-dependent mtDNA methylation, thereby stabilizing mtDNA and inhibiting its leakage. Genetic and pharmacological modulation of mito-DNMT1 restored ACADS-regulated mtDNA leakage, cGAS‒STING signaling, and CRC progression. Importantly, strong correlations between ACADS, mito-DNMT1, and STING signaling and the immune TME were found in patients with CRC. Furthermore, we screened and identified an old drug, hypericin, as an ACADS-binding compound that upregulates ACADS expression. Hypericin treatment can mimic ACADS overexpression-regulated pathways, ultimately improving the immune TME and suppressing CRC growth. These findings highlight a previously undiscovered ACADS/mito-DNMT1 complex that links fatty acid metabolism reprogramming to mtDNA methylation and cGAS‒STING signaling-dependent antitumor immunity.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsDNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1DNA DemethylationDNA, MitochondrialAnimalsCell Line, TumorcGAS-STING Signaling PathwayCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseDNA MethylationHumansMembrane ProteinsMiceNucleotidyltransferasesSignal TransductionSTING ProteinTumor MicroenvironmentCyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate SynthaseDNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1DNA, MitochondrialDnmt1 protein, mouseMembrane ProteinsNucleotidyltransferasesSTING Protein

Identifiers

PMID41888107
PMCPMC13022253

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.