The following is a summary of “Pan-cancer transcriptional atlas of minimal residual disease links DUSP1 to chemotherapy persistence,” published in the April 2024 issue of Hematology by Liu et al.

Chemotherapy stands as a cornerstone in cancer treatment, albeit its efficacy is often challenged by the persistence of minimal residual disease (MRD), leading to relapse in numerous patients. While previous investigations have scrutinized the effects of chemotherapy within specific cancer types, the study marks a pioneering effort in comprehensively dissecting MRD dynamics across diverse cancer types. Leveraging both bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, researchers conducted an exhaustive analysis encompassing the entire genome’s expression profile alongside evaluations of canonical pathway signatures and immune cell infiltrates before and after chemotherapy intervention across various malignancies. 

The comprehensive scrutiny uncovered DUSP1 as the predominant and significantly enriched gene universally implicated in pan-cancer MRD contexts. Notably, the investigations delineated DUSP1’s pivotal role in MRD establishment, elucidating its involvement in T cell-fibroblast interactions and the cytotoxicity of CD4 + T cells. These insights not only broaden the understanding of chemotherapy-induced alterations but also pinpoint potential therapeutic targets to thwart MRD persistence, thereby holding promise for achieving prolonged survival benefits among patients with cancer.

Source: ehoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40164-024-00509-3