Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42678737›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of clinical investigation2026

Conserved neuronal-like and secretory programs define the spatial architecture of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Julie Karam, Samantha E Hoffman, Amanda Garza, Dan Gui, Hannah I Hoffman, Breanna M Titchen, Yutaro Tanaka, Erica Pimenta, Theodora Pappa, Laura Valderrabano and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of clinical investigation, 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

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Julie KaramDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Samantha E HoffmanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Amanda GarzaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Dan GuiDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Hannah I HoffmanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Breanna M TitchenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Yutaro TanakaBroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States of America.
Erica PimentaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Theodora PappaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Laura ValderrabanoDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Kevin BiDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Riaz GillaniBroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, United States of America.
Lauren BraisDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Erin ShannonDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Jason L HornickDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Jihye ParkDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Jennifer ChanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.
Eliezer M Van AllenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, United States of America.

Funding

Medical Scientist Training ProgramT32GM144273 · NIGMS · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI David Shumway Jones, Jacqueline A. Lees · 2022 to 2026
$14.7M
NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM144273
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are clinically heterogeneous malignancies whose biology and microenvironmental organization remain poorly understood. Here, we integrated single-nucleus multiomic (snRNA-seq and snATAC-seq) and spatial transcriptomic profiling across 38 well-differentiated pancreatic (PanNET) and small-intestinal (siNET) tumors to define conserved malignant programs, their regulatory circuits, and spatial niches. We observed two conserved malignant cell programs spanning a continuous transcriptional spectrum: a neuronal-like program, and a secretory neuroendocrine program. Matched chromatin accessibility profiles uncovered distinct, tissue-specific regulatory networks, including MAX::MYC and MITF transcription factor binding motifs in siNETs versus ISL1 and TFAP4 in PanNETs, indicating organ-specific epigenetic control. Spatial transcriptomic analyses revealed that neuronal-like-high regions localized to densely cellular tumor areas with relative depletion of stromal infiltration, whereas secretory neuroendocrine-high regions occupied fibrovascular and stromal niches enriched for endothelial, fibroblast, and myeloid populations, and associated with TGFB1-ITGB1, VEGFA-FLT1, and LAMA2-ITGA1 signaling. Across both tumor types, the cNMF2 program was enriched in metastatic lesions and was enriched for pro-fibrotic and pro-angiogenic gene signatures. Thus, GEP-NETs are organized along a conserved neuronal-to-secretory axis defined by distinct epigenetic programs and spatially coupled to specific microenvironmental niches. This framework unifies NET heterogeneity across organ sites and identifies pathway-specific, microenvironment-linked vulnerabilities for therapeutic targeting.

Indexed as

CancerGeneticsMacrophagesMolecular geneticsOncology

Identifiers

PMID42678737

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.