SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas

Abstract Chordomas are rare, aggressive tumors of the axial skeleton with limited treatment options. Genetic alterations in SMARCB1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been implicated in poorly differentiated chordomas, but their role in typical and chondroid subtypes remains unclear. This study examined...

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Main Authors: Weihai Liu, Moksada Regmi, Shikun Liu, Ying Xiong, Yuwei Dai, Yingjie Wang, Jun Yang, Chenlong Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04508-0
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author Weihai Liu
Moksada Regmi
Shikun Liu
Ying Xiong
Yuwei Dai
Yingjie Wang
Jun Yang
Chenlong Yang
author_facet Weihai Liu
Moksada Regmi
Shikun Liu
Ying Xiong
Yuwei Dai
Yingjie Wang
Jun Yang
Chenlong Yang
author_sort Weihai Liu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Chordomas are rare, aggressive tumors of the axial skeleton with limited treatment options. Genetic alterations in SMARCB1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been implicated in poorly differentiated chordomas, but their role in typical and chondroid subtypes remains unclear. This study examined 42 chordoma samples (26 typical, 16 chondroid) for SMARCB1 genetic alterations, expression patterns, and associated pathways. SMARCB1 knockdown experiments were conducted in chordoma cell lines, followed by comprehensive transcriptome analysis. No exonic SMARCB1 mutations were identified, but heterozygous loss was observed in 3/26 typical chordomas. SMARCB1 expression positively correlated with patient survival and epithelial-mesenchymal markers. Functional studies revealed that SMARCB1 knockdown significantly enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated enrichment of MYC targets, E2F targets, and cell cycle pathways in SMARCB1-low samples, while cellular adhesion pathways were downregulated. Notably, SLPI, LBH, and LOXL2 were significantly downregulated in SMARCB1-low samples. SMARCB1 plays an important role in chordoma progression, influencing prognosis and cellular behavior, despite infrequent genetic alterations. Its effects on key oncogenic pathways and cellular plasticity suggest potential for targeted therapies. These findings provide new insights into chordoma biology and lay the groundwork for developing SMARCB1-based prognostic tools and personalized treatment strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-153417fcb8444530b87c37a7e51e08b22025-08-20T02:30:45ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-04508-0SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomasWeihai Liu0Moksada Regmi1Shikun Liu2Ying Xiong3Yuwei Dai4Yingjie Wang5Jun Yang6Chenlong Yang7State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Peking UniversityAbstract Chordomas are rare, aggressive tumors of the axial skeleton with limited treatment options. Genetic alterations in SMARCB1, a tumor suppressor gene, have been implicated in poorly differentiated chordomas, but their role in typical and chondroid subtypes remains unclear. This study examined 42 chordoma samples (26 typical, 16 chondroid) for SMARCB1 genetic alterations, expression patterns, and associated pathways. SMARCB1 knockdown experiments were conducted in chordoma cell lines, followed by comprehensive transcriptome analysis. No exonic SMARCB1 mutations were identified, but heterozygous loss was observed in 3/26 typical chordomas. SMARCB1 expression positively correlated with patient survival and epithelial-mesenchymal markers. Functional studies revealed that SMARCB1 knockdown significantly enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated enrichment of MYC targets, E2F targets, and cell cycle pathways in SMARCB1-low samples, while cellular adhesion pathways were downregulated. Notably, SLPI, LBH, and LOXL2 were significantly downregulated in SMARCB1-low samples. SMARCB1 plays an important role in chordoma progression, influencing prognosis and cellular behavior, despite infrequent genetic alterations. Its effects on key oncogenic pathways and cellular plasticity suggest potential for targeted therapies. These findings provide new insights into chordoma biology and lay the groundwork for developing SMARCB1-based prognostic tools and personalized treatment strategies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04508-0ChordomaSMARCB1Tumor suppressor geneChromatin remodelingPrognosis
spellingShingle Weihai Liu
Moksada Regmi
Shikun Liu
Ying Xiong
Yuwei Dai
Yingjie Wang
Jun Yang
Chenlong Yang
SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
Scientific Reports
Chordoma
SMARCB1
Tumor suppressor gene
Chromatin remodeling
Prognosis
title SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
title_full SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
title_fullStr SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
title_full_unstemmed SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
title_short SMARCB1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
title_sort smarcb1 orchestrates cellular plasticity and oncogenic pathways in typical and chondroid chordomas
topic Chordoma
SMARCB1
Tumor suppressor gene
Chromatin remodeling
Prognosis
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04508-0
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