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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

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In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors
Published on: May 17, 2013
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ARHGAP4/MYH9/β-catenin/c-Jun positive feedback loop promotes colorectal cancer stemness
Shaolin Liu1,2, Yizhen Chen1,2, Song Tan1,2
1Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
NPJ Precision Oncology
|August 16, 2025
Summary
Rho GTPase-activating protein 4 (ARHGAP4) drives colorectal cancer stemness via a MYH9/β-catenin/c-Jun feedback loop. This discovery highlights ARHGAP4 as a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer stem cells.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Rho GTPase-activating protein 4 (ARHGAP4) is linked to poor prognosis in various cancers.
- The specific role of ARHGAP4 in promoting stemness in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of ARHGAP4 in driving colorectal cancer stemness.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying ARHGAP4-mediated CRC stemness.
Main Methods:
- Integrated bioinformatics analysis
- In vitro and in vivo tumor stemness assays
- Co-immunoprecipitation, Chromatin immunoprecipitation, and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP)
Main Results:
- ARHGAP4 was found to drive colorectal cancer stemness.
- A positive feedback loop involving MYH9, β-catenin, and c-Jun was identified as the mechanism.
- ARHGAP4's role in maintaining cancer stem cell (CSC) properties was confirmed.
Conclusions:
- ARHGAP4 promotes colorectal cancer stemness through a novel feedback loop.
- ARHGAP4 represents a promising therapeutic target for colorectal cancer, especially for targeting cancer stem cells.
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