Disruption of the circadian clock drives Apc loss of heterozygosity to accelerate colorectal cancer
Menée à l'aide d'organoïdes et de modèles murins, cette étude met en évidence un mécanisme par lequel la perturbation de l'horloge circadienne induit la perte de l'hétérozygotie du gène APC ainsi que l'accélération de la progression des tumeurs colorectales
An alarming rise in young onset colorectal cancer (CRC) has been reported; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains undefined. Suspected risk factors of young onset CRC include environmental aspects, such as lifestyle and dietary factors, which are known to affect the circadian clock. We find that both genetic disruption and environmental disruption of the circadian clock accelerate Apc-driven CRC pathogenesis in vivo. Using an intestinal organoid model, we demonstrate that clock disruption promotes transformation by driving Apc loss of heterozygosity, which hyperactivates Wnt signaling. This up-regulates c-Myc, a known Wnt target, which drives heightened glycolytic metabolism. Using patient-derived organoids, we show that circadian rhythms are lost in human tumors. Last, we identify that variance between core clock and Wnt pathway genes significantly predicts the survival of patients with CRC. Overall, our findings demonstrate a previously unidentified mechanistic link between clock disruption and CRC, which has important implications for young onset cancer prevention. Disruption of the circadian clock accelerates CRC progression by driving Apc loss of heterozygosity.
Science Advances 2022