bims-meluca 2026-08-02 papers

Oncogene. 2026 Jul 26.

The phase separation of ZC3H18 transcriptionally activates LDHA and forms lactylation-mediated positive feedback loop to promote tumorigenesis of lung cancer.

Dandan Yin, Chang Zhang, Yuancheng Li, Jiali Dai, Tianyu Qu, Jun Su, Xiyi Lu, Pingping Wu, Liang Han, Erbao Zhang.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and cancer treatment. As metabolic reprogramming is known to participate in tumorigenesis, elucidation of the mechanisms of crosstalk between RBPs and metabolism could provide new insights into cancer biology. Here, we found that the RBP ZC3H18 is overexpressed in lung cancer through copy number gain, which exerts oncogenic functions. Mechanistically, ZC3H18 undergoes phase separation to transcriptionally activate a key metabolic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), by binding to the LDHA promoter, thus promoting glycolysis and the production of lactate. The accumulation of lactate, in turn, activates the transcription of ZC3H18 through histone H3K18 lactylation (H3K18la) and directly induces the lactylation of ZC3H18 at the Lys186 residue (K186) in post-translational, thus forming a positive ZC3H18/LDHA/lactate/ZC3H18 feedback loop. Moreover, the combination of ZC3H18 inhibition and an LDHA small-molecule inhibitor (GSK2837808A) exhibited better antitumor efficacy in lung cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model, suggesting the therapeutic potential of targeting the ZC3H18/LDHA axis. Taken together, our findings clarify the dialogue between RBP phase separation and lactate metabolism from a novel perspective and suggest that the ZC3H18/LDHA axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-026-03817-6

Cell Death Differ. 2026 Jul 29.

Dual targeting of BCL-XL and MCL-1 exposes a rapid and exploitable apoptotic vulnerability in non-small cell lung cancer.

Liyang Wu, Baris Budak, Oihane Ofogo, Ali Jazaeri Jouneghani, Philippe JeanRichard, Daniel Bachmann, Thomas Kaufmann.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is frequently refractory to mitochondrial apoptosis despite oncogenic and therapeutic stress. Although individual anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members have been implicated in NSCLC survival, it has remained unclear whether this reflects dominant single-protein dependencies or a cooperative pro-survival network. This uncertainty is exacerbated by the high prevalence of p53 mutations, which compromise DNA damage-induced apoptotic signaling. Here, we systematically dissected intrinsic apoptotic dependencies across a panel of human NSCLC cell lines using selective BH3 mimetics targeting BCL-2, BCL-XL or MCL-1. Consistent with previous reports, BH3 mimetics alone provided only limited and heterogeneous sensitization to cisplatin across NSCLC models. Likewise, single-agent inhibition of BCL-2, BCL-XL or MCL-1 elicited weak and variable apoptotic responses. In striking contrast, combined targeting of BCL-XL and MCL-1 was sufficient to trigger rapid, synergistic and irreversible apoptosis in the majority of NSCLC cell lines, even in the absence of genotoxic stress. Commitment to cell death occurred within minutes and was characterized by early mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, cytochrome c release and robust effector caspase activation. This apoptotic response strictly required the intrinsic mitochondrial machinery and BAX/BAK function but was entirely independent of p53 status. Apparent resistance to first-generation (WEHI-539) BCL-XL inhibition in a subset of models reflected incomplete target engagement rather than compensatory survival rewiring. Accordingly, apoptosis was fully restored by next-generation BCL-XL inhibition (A-1331852) or by PROTAC-mediated BCL-XL degradation (DT2216). Importantly, platelet-sparing BCL-XL targeting strategies retained strong synergy with MCL-1 inhibition, addressing a key translational limitation of earlier BH3-mimetic approaches. Together, these data redefine apoptotic control in NSCLC as a cooperative restraint imposed by BCL-XL and MCL-1 rather than discrete, context-dependent dependencies, revealing a rapid, p53-independent mitochondrial apoptotic vulnerability with clear therapeutic implications.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-026-01829-z

Pathol Res Pract. 2026 Jul 24. pii: S0344-0338(26)00286-4. [Epub ahead of print]286 156633

RRM2 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression and is associated with ferroptosis-inducer sensitivity through the NRF2/GPX4 signaling axis.

Xiangyuan Li, Fenfen Gu, Rong Xiao, Shuangfen Tao, Zhiyi Liu, Yawei Zhao, Ruizhe Huang, Lianyong Jiang, Meiling Zhu.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, characterized by aggressive progression and therapy resistance. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, has emerged as a promising therapeutic avenue. However, the role of Ribonucleotide Reductase M2 (RRM2) in ferroptosis regulation and its relevance to LUAD progression remain incompletely understood.
METHODS: We integrated bulk transcriptomic, proteomic, WGCNA, and single-cell datasets to evaluate the clinical and biological relevance of RRM2 in LUAD. Functional validation was performed using RRM2 knockdown, ferroptosis-inducer sensitivity assays, ferroptosis-related biochemical assays, NRF2/GPX4 pathway analysis, rescue experiments, and xenograft models.
RESULTS: RRM2 was significantly upregulated in LUAD tissues and was associated with poor overall survival. Single-cell analysis localized high RRM2 expression to a proliferative tumor cell subpopulation enriched in cell cycle- and immune-related pathways. Functionally, RRM2 knockdown suppressed LUAD cell proliferation and tumor growth and was accompanied by increased ROS, lipid ROS, Fe²⁺, and MDA levels and decreased GSH levels. RRM2 depletion also increased ferroptosis-inducer sensitivity, with enhanced erastin and RSL3 sensitivity in A549 cells and clear RSL3 sensitization in PC9 cells. In parallel, RRM2 silencing was associated with reduced NRF2 and GPX4 expression, decreased NRF2 nuclear-to-cytosolic signal intensity, and increased ACSL4 expression. NRF2 overexpression partially restored GPX4 immunofluorescence intensity in RRM2-knockdown cells. Moreover, NRF2 overexpression or Ferr-1 treatment partially reversed the growth-suppressive effects induced by RRM2 deficiency in vitro and in vivo.
CONCLUSION: RRM2 is associated with LUAD progression, ferroptosis-inducer sensitivity, and ferroptosis-related phenotypes, potentially through modulation of the NRF2/GPX4 axis. These findings support RRM2 as a candidate prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in LUAD, while the precise molecular relationship between RRM2 and the NRF2/GPX4 axis warrants further investigation.

Keywords: Ferroptosis; LUAD; NRF2/GPX4 pathway; RRM2; Single-cell transcriptomics; Therapeutic target

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2026.156633

Biomolecules. 2026 Jul 22. pii: 1070. [Epub ahead of print]16(7):

GDF15: A Hijacked Metabo-Hormone Orchestrating Cachexia and Immunosuppression in Cancer.

Dong-Yang Qi, Yong-Fei Wang, Wei-Lin Jin.

Cancer is responsible for systemic burdens, most notably cachexia and immunosuppression, that extend far beyond local tumor growth and collectively dictate poor outcomes. While often studied separately, these debilitating syndromes are deeply interconnected. On the basis of emerging evidence of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15)'s dual actions in immunity and metabolism, we propose that the stress-responsive hormone GDF15 is hijacked by tumors and repurposed as a central metaboceptive hub that integrates diverse oncogenic stress signals to launch a coordinated, dual pathological cascade. Systemically, it disrupts brain-body communication via glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) activation in the brainstem, driving anorexia, metabolic rewiring, and progressive wasting of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue that define cachexia. GDF15 acts as a potent immunosuppressor within the local tumor microenvironment, impairing T cell cytotoxicity and increasing the abundance of regulatory T cells. Crucially, these effects are not parallel but interlinked, forming a self-reinforcing detrimental cycle that accelerates host deterioration and therapeutic failure. This positions the GDF15-GFRAL axis as a unique dual-benefit therapeutic target with the potential to simultaneously ameliorate cachexia, improve patient function and quality of life, and revitalize anti-tumor immunity. Reframing cancer through the lens of a hijacked metabolic sensing system provides an integrated perspective that transforms this formidable challenge of concurrent host wasting and immune evasion into a druggable opportunity, charting a course for novel host-directed therapies that restore systemic homeostasis.

Keywords: GDF15; GFRAL; brain–body communication; cancer cachexia; immunotherapy; metaboception; muscle wasting; neuroendocrinology; tumor microenvironment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16071070