Journal Article DKFZ-2026-00473

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A disease model resource reveals core principles of tissue-specific cancer evolution.

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2026
Nature Publ. Group London [u.a.]

Nature nn, nn () [10.1038/s41586-026-10187-2]
 GO

Abstract: Oncogenes such as KRAS display marked tissue specificity in their oncogenic potential, genetic interactions and phenotypic effects, but the underlying determinants remain largely unresolved1-5. Here, to address these questions, we developed the Mouse Cancer Cell line Atlas, a broad-utility resource of 590 comprehensively characterized models across a wide range of entities ( www.mcca.tum.de ). Comparative and functional studies using this platform, human cohorts and mice identified core principles underlying tissue-specific evolution of KRAS-initiated cancers. First, we show that mutant KRAS dosage gain through allelic imbalance exerts cell-type-specific effects, defining its timing across entities, as exemplified by dosage-sensitive developmental reprogramming during pancreatic cancer initiation. Second, we highlight how tissue- and stage-specific evolutionary requirements, such as block of differentiation in the intestine, select for KRAS-collaborating alterations. Third, we identified context-dependent epistatic KRAS-tumour suppressor interactions and show that reciprocal dosage sensitivities dictate the entity-specific patterns of cancer gene alterations, explaining their frequency, zygosity and acquisition chronology. These findings highlight how intrinsic and acquired determinants instruct cancer evolution in different tissues, with predictable molecular patterns, temporal dynamics and phenotypic outcomes. Our study provides major advances towards a mechanistic understanding of cancer genomes.

Classification:

Note: #DKTKZFB26# / epub

Contributing Institute(s):
  1. DKTK Koordinierungsstelle München (MU01)
  2. B062 Pädiatrische Neuroonkologie (B062)
  3. DKTK MU Translationale Krebsforschung (MU05)
  4. Translationale Onkologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Reverse Translation (MU08)
Research Program(s):
  1. 312 - Funktionelle und strukturelle Genomforschung (POF4-312) (POF4-312)

Appears in the scientific report 2026
Database coverage:
Medline ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Chemical Reactions ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DEAL Nature ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 60 ; Index Chemicus ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record
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 Record created 2026-02-27, last modified 2026-03-02



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