Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41928626›Full record

ArticleClinical and molecular hepatology2026

Co-repression of Yap1 and Sox9 abrogates established cholangiocarcinoma by eliminating transcriptional compensation.

Minwook Kim, Shikai Hu, Yoojeong Park, Joseph Kwon, Laura Molina, Li-Ju Wang, Jia-Jun Liu, Silvia Liu, Aatur Singhi, Yu-Chiao Chiu and 1 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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Minwook Kim *Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Shikai Hu *Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Yoojeong ParkDepartment of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Joseph KwonDepartment of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Laura MolinaDepartment of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Li-Ju WangUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jia-Jun LiuDepartment of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Silvia LiuPittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicinec.
Aatur SinghiDepartment of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Yu-Chiao ChiuPittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicinec.
Sungjin KoDepartment of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. sungjin@pitt.edu.

Funding

VECTOR CORE FACILITYP30CA047904 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI CHRISTOPHER J. BAKKENIST · 1988 to 2026
$158.0M
Pittsburgh Liver Research CenterP30DK120531 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Shuchang Silvia Liu · 2019 to 2026
$10.9M
Identifying therapeutic options for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomaR01CA258449 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI KO, SUNGJIN · 2021 to 2025
$1.6M
Novel computational approaches for pharmacogenomics of complex diseasesR35GM154967 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Yu-Chiao Chiu · 2024 to 2026
$1.2M
Enhancing AI-readiness of multi-omics data for cancer pharmacogenomicsR00CA248944 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI CHIU, YU-CHIAO · 2022 to 2024
$1.1M
Deciphering the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cholangiocarcinoma DevelopmentR01CA300059 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Sungjin Ko · 2025 to 2026
$1.0M
Advanced computational approaches for single-cell multi-omics integrationR35GM159862 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Shuchang Silvia Liu · 2025 to 2026
$875k
High-Throughput Computing for Genomics and Bioinformatics ResearchS10OD028483 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI LEE, ADRIAN V · 2021 to 2021
$574k
Request for an Olympus VS200 slide scannerS10MH126905 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI FISH, KENNETH N, WATKINS, SIMON C · 2021 to 2021
$370k
Competitive Medical Research FundInnovation in Cancer Informatics DiscoverNCI NIH HHS P30 CA047904NCI NIH HHS R00 CA248944NCI NIH HHS R01 CA258449NCI NIH HHS R01 CA300059NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK120531NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM154967NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM159862NIH HHS 1P30DK120531-01NIH HHS R01CA258449NIH HHS R01CA300059NIH HHS R35GM159862NIH HHS S10 OD028483NIH HHS S10OD028483NIMH NIH HHS S10 MH126905Pittsburgh Liver Research Center R00CA248944Pittsburgh Liver Research Center R35GM154967Pittsburgh Liver Research Center Pilot and Feasibility 2019-05University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh S10MH126905University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimsIntrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) represents an unmet clinical need due to its increasing incidence, aggressive biology, and limited treatment options. The extremely low-response rates to current systemic regimens and the emergence of adaptive resistance to targeted therapies underscore the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Given that the lineage-defining transcription factors SOX9 and YAP1 are central regulators of cholangiocyte and iCCA identity, we investigated their functional roles as potential therapeutic vulnerabilities across multiple preclinical models.

methodsPatient tissue-microarray analysis, Sleeping Beauty hydrodynamic tail vein injection-based iCCA models, and Cre-mediated inducible gene deletion systems were used to investigate the roles of Sox9 and Yap1. Deep-learning- based prediction, RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed to delineate transcriptional networks and downstream effectors associated with SOX9/ YAP1 signaling.

resultsDual deletion of Sox9 and Yap1 effectively eradicated advanced iCCA while preserving intrahepatic bile ducts, regardless of oncogenic drivers. Mechanistically, SOX9 and YAP1 transcriptionally compensated for each other when one was absent, and ILF2 and MGAT5 were identified as key downstream effectors mediating this compensatory mechanism. Loss of Ilf2 and Mgat5 suppressed iCCA, whereas overexpression of Ilf2 following Sox9/Yap1 co-deletion restored tumor development, indicating that ILF2 can functionally substitute for YAP1 and SOX9 in sustaining iCCA.

conclusionsCo-targeting SOX9 and YAP1 offers a promising and safe broad-spectrum preventive/therapeutic approach for iCCA, potentially overcoming resistance to YAP1 inhibition. The adaptive resistance mechanism identified may extend to other malignancies, providing insights for addressing the advanced resistance to YAP1-TEAD-directed therapies.

Indexed as

Adaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingBile Duct NeoplasmsCell Cycle ProteinsCholangiocarcinomaSOX9 Transcription FactorTranscription FactorsAnimalsBile Ducts, IntrahepaticCell Line, TumorGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceSignal TransductionYAP-Signaling ProteinsAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingCell Cycle ProteinsSOX9 protein, humanSOX9 Transcription FactorTranscription FactorsYAP1 protein, humanYap1 protein, mouseYAP-Signaling ProteinsBile duct cancerInterleukin enhancer binding factor 2Liver cancerNeoplasm drug resistanceTranscriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) proteins

Identifiers

PMID41928626
PMCPMC13430326

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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.