Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42238585›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Butyrate blocks cell cycle progression in colorectal cancer organoids partially through HDAC2 inhibition.

Banghui Liu, Yujun Huang, Xi Wang, Xiangjun Liu, Yikun Luo, Nan Wang, Hefei Tian, Lingxiao Huang, Zhenni Xu, Jinyi Lang and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 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. 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

12 authors.

Banghui Liu *North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
Yujun Huang *Precision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xi Wang *Precision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xiangjun LiuPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Yikun LuoPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Nan WangPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Hefei TianPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Lingxiao HuangPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Zhenni XuPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Jinyi LangPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xudan LeiPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Dengqun LiuPrecision Radiation in Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Experimental Research, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Tumor Organoids and Clinical Transformation, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Butyric acid is a major gut microbiota metabolite that exhibits many biological functions, including the suppression of colorectal cancer (CRC) growth. However, previous studies have mainly been conducted using cell lines, which do not recapitulate the genuine three-dimensional spatial characteristics of CRC. In this study, we explored the therapeutic outcome and precise molecular targets of butyrate with sodium butyrate (NaB) using tumor organoids of CRC. Methods: Firstly, we examined the influence of butyrate on CRC subcutaneous allografts. And then the biological effects of butyrate were mainly determined using CRC organoids derived from KPC mice and Caco-2 cells. The morphological characteristics of butyrate-treated CRC organoids were analyzed, and multiple experimental assays were employed to determine the biological and molecular influences of butyrate. Finally, the inhibitor of HDAC2 was used to mimic the biological effects of butyrate on CRC organoids. Results: It was observed that butyrate significantly suppressed the growth of CRC allografts. Importantly, butyrate could apparently inhibit the proliferation, disrupt epithelial integrity, and induce apoptosis in CRC organoids. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that butyrate acts as an epigenetic modulator, targeting HDAC2 and selectively repressing its transcription. This led to inhibition of cyclin D1, CDK4/6, and upregulation of p21 expression, suggesting cell cycle arrest. The selective HDAC2 inhibitor similarly recapitulated the influences of butyrate on CRC organoids. Discussion: Butyrate exerts the definitive blocking effects on cell cycle progression in CRC organoids, and HDAC2 is one of the important targets. Butyrate modulates cell cycle via targeting HDAC2, constituting a novel therapeutic pathway for CRC. This study provides new evidence for gut microbial metabolites as a potential means for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Indexed as

ButyratesButyric AcidCell CycleColorectal NeoplasmsHistone Deacetylase 2Histone Deacetylase InhibitorsOrganoidsAnimalsApoptosisCaco-2 CellsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceButyratesButyric AcidHDAC2 protein, humanHistone Deacetylase 2Histone Deacetylase Inhibitorscell cyclecolorectal cancerHDAC2organoidsodium butyrate

Identifiers

PMID42238585
PMCPMC13226563

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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.