Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 16, 2026

In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors
07:33

In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors

Published on: May 17, 2013

35.8K

TRIM21 promotes colorectal cancer development through regulating DNA replication by TCF3/MCM2/5 axis

Xintian Zhang1, Han Yao1, Yichao Hou1

  • 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gut Microecology and Associated Major Diseases Research, Digestive Disease Research and Clinical Translation Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhi Zao Ju Road, 200011, Shanghai, China.

Cell Death Discovery
|September 25, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Tripartite motif containing 21 (TRIM21) promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) cell growth by regulating DNA replication. Inhibiting TRIM21 enhances CRC chemosensitivity, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for this cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Disrupting DNA replication is a key strategy in cancer treatment.
  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Identifying novel molecular targets for CRC therapy is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Tripartite motif containing 21 (TRIM21) in colorectal cancer (CRC).
  • To determine the relationship between TRIM21 expression and CRC prognosis.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which TRIM21 affects CRC cell proliferation and chemosensitivity.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative analysis of TRIM21 expression in CRC tissues.
  • In vitro and in vivo experiments involving TRIM21 knockdown in CRC cells.
  • Assessment of DNA replication markers (MCM2, MCM5) and cell proliferation.
  • Chemosensitivity assays with 5-FU and SN-38.
  • Investigation of the TCF3/MCM2/5 axis.

Main Results:

  • TRIM21 was highly expressed in CRC and correlated with poor prognosis.
  • TRIM21 positively regulated MCM2 and MCM5 expression, promoting CRC cell proliferation.
  • TRIM21 knockdown inhibited DNA replication and increased sensitivity to 5-FU and SN-38.
  • TCF3 directly suppressed MCM2/5 transcription, and its knockdown partially restored DNA replication.

Conclusions:

  • TRIM21 influences CRC development and chemosensitivity by regulating DNA replication via the TCF3/MCM2/5 pathway.
  • TRIM21 represents a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.
  • Targeting the TRIM21-TCF3-MCM axis could offer a novel approach for CRC treatment.

More Related Videos

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres06:52

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Published on: July 22, 2020

6.9K
Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies09:29

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies

Published on: September 30, 2016

14.3K

Related Concept Videos

Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
5.1K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.6K
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
7.2K
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes01:05

Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
9.4K
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds...
4.3K
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.3K