Biology subjects

Godwin, A. K.

Publications and source records attributed to Godwin, A. K..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Cell-of-origin shapes tumor subtype in BRCA1-associated triple-negative breast cancer

Pathogenic germline BRCA1 variants greatly increase lifetime breast cancer risk, with no targeted prevention. Accrual of mutations following DNA repair errors in luminal progenitors is considered the chief mechanism of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) initiation, which cannot explain the organ specificity nor the phenotypic spectrum of the disease. Here we show that TNBC also originates in basal-myoepithelial cells, and that the cell of origin shapes TNBC subtype through aberrant epithelial differentiation, likely due to pleiotropic role of BRCA1 in regulating hormone signaling. Single-cell RNA sequencing of 67,001 cells from Wap-Cre Brca1/p53 mice and reanalysis of published Blg-Cre data show that aberrant basal-myoepithelial differentiation (Wap-Cre) generates the mesenchymal subtype (TNBC-M) and aberrant luminal differentiation (Blg-Cre) the basal-like subtype (TNBC-BL1). We also show that both subtypes occur at comparable frequency in BRCA1 carriers. Aberrant basal-myoepithelial differentiation precedes tumor formation, and only tumors derived from transplanted basal cells reproduce the basal-containing phenotype of spontaneous tumors. Comparison with a developmental atlas identifies de-differentiation of myoepithelial cells into basal cells lacking myoepithelial markers, a fetal state, whereas experimental metastases shift toward luminal states while retaining a TNBC-M-like transcriptional program. These findings support the inclusion of basal-myoepithelial and luminal cells in targeted prevention strategies for BRCA1 carriers, and adoption of TNBC subtyping for patient stratification and improving outcomes.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Cellular stemness identifies high-risk ductal carcinoma in situ and offers a therapeutic interception opportunity

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) exhibits substantial heterogeneity in its risk of progression to invasive breast cancer, yet the cellular and molecular determinants of high-risk lesions remain incompletely defined. Using spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of 43 patient-derived DCIS and DCIS/invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) samples, we delineate cellular programs, spatial organization, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms associated with invasive potential. We identify an epithelial population with stemness features within luminal hormone-responsive (LumHR) cells that progressively expands from benign tissue to DCIS and IDC, and is strongly associated with invasive progression and recurrence-linked transcriptional programs. Spatial mapping reveals discrete DCIS niches enriched for stem-like LumHR cells, characterized by elevated CEACAM6 expression and enhanced ligand-receptor interactions, including CEACAM6-EGFR signaling between epithelial and stromal compartments, including cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages (APOC1-positive) and perivascular cells. These niches define a microenvironmental context that supports stemness and invasive potential. Epigenomic analyses implicate FOXA1 as a key regulator of these stem-like transcriptional states. Pharmacologic disruption of FOXA1-regulatory network using LSD1 inhibition suppresses stemness-associated transcriptional programs in vitro and significantly restrains tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, these findings define high-risk DCIS as a stemness-driven disease embedded within specialized microenvironments, and identify associated regulatory networks as candidate biomarkers and therapeutic vulnerabilities.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Comparative single-cell atlases reveal injury-driven tubal epithelial regeneration as a window for ovarian carcinoma initiation

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), the most lethal form of ovarian cancer, preferentially originates in the tubal epithelium (TE) of the distal uterine tube (also known as Fallopian tube or oviduct). Mouse models are widely used to study how HGSC initiates in humans; however, the extent to which mouse and human uterine tubes are comparable remains unclear. Here, we conduct cross-species single-cell transcriptomic comparative analyses and organoid assay validations to reveal conserved differentiation trajectories from bipotent progenitors to secretory or ciliated cell fates. Regional analyses of both datasets reveal enriched injury repair features in the distal human TE, where mice lack such a trend. Experimentally inducing mechanical injury to the mouse TE yields significant expansion of pre-ciliated cells compared to uninjured counterparts. Furthermore, inactivation of Trp53 and Rb1, whose pathways are commonly altered in HGSC, in regenerating pre-ciliated cells leads to rapid neoplastic transformation, implicating post-traumatic repair as a permissive window for malignant transformation. Together, our findings establish a comparative atlas of cell states between mice and humans, show that injury-associated regeneration may contribute to the known vulnerability of the fimbrial region, and raise potential concerns regarding procedures or conditions that mechanically perturb the tubal epithelium.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Keratin 5 marks cancer-propagating cells sustained by an osteopontin-producing niche in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common and aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Advanced HGSCs exhibit pronounced cellular heterogeneity, including a subset of cancer-propagating cells (CPCs, also known as cancer stem cells) that are highly tumorigenic and display stem cell-associated properties such as self-renewal and chemoresistance. In contrast, a substantial fraction of HGSC cells is non-tumorigenic. The role of these non-cancer-propagating cells (non-CPCs) and their relationship to CPCs remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that neoplastic cells expressing the intermediate filament protein keratin 5 (KRT5) represent bona fide CPCs. KRT5 cells form cancer organoids over successive passages, are tumorigenic in serial dilution xenograft assays, and are resistant to the antineoplastic agents, doxorubicin and cisplatin. Single-cell lineage-tracing experiments show that KRT5 CPCs give rise to KRT5- cells. KRT5 and KRT5- populations exhibit distinct gene expression profiles, with KRT5- cells characterized by expression of SPP1, which encodes the secreted factor osteopontin (OPN). Treatment with OPN enhances HGSC organoid growth and chemoresistance, whereas SPP1 knockdown reverses these effects. Together, these findings support a model in which HGSC contains two hierarchically related cell populations: KRT5, OPN-responsive CPCs and KRT5-, non-tumorigenic cells that form a niche producing OPN. Targeting pathways that sustain both stem-like tumor cells and their supportive niche may enable reduced dosing of highly toxic chemotherapeutic agents while enhancing therapeutic efficacy in HGSC.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

IRAK1 is a critical mediator of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid-induced stemness in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) survival rates are dishearteningly low, with [~]25% surviving beyond 5 years. Evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to acquired chemoresistance and tumor recurrence. Here, we show that IRAK1 is upregulated in EOC tissues, and enhanced expression correlates with poorer overall survival. IRAK1 and BRCA1/2 mutation status are mutually exclusive. Moreover, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW HA), which is abundant in malignant ascites from patients with advanced EOC, induced IRAK1 phosphorylation leading to STAT3 activation and enhanced spheroid formation. Knockdown of IRAK1 impaired tumor growth in peritoneal disease models, and impaired HA-induced spheroid growth and STAT3 phosphorylation. Finally, we determined that TCS2210, a known inducer of neuronal differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells, is a selective inhibitor of IRAK1. TCS2210 significantly inhibited EOC growth in vitro and in vivo both as monotherapy, and in combination with cisplatin. Collectively, these data demonstrate IRAK1 as a druggable target for EOC.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Tumor-infiltrating nerves create an electro-physiologically active microenvironment and contribute to treatment resistance

Patients with densely innervated tumors do poorly as compared to those with sparsely innervated disease. Why some tumors heavily recruit nerves while others do not, remains unknown as does the functional contribution of tumor-infiltrating nerves to cancer. Moreover, while patients receive chemotherapeutic treatment, whether these drugs affect nerve recruitment has not been tested. Using a murine model of ovarian cancer, we show that tumor-infiltrating sensory nerves potentiate tumor growth, decrease survival, and contribute to treatment resistance. Furthermore, matched patient samples show significantly increased tumor innervation following chemotherapy. In vitro analysis of tumor-released extracellular vesicles (sEVs) shows they harbor neurite outgrowth activity. These data suggest that chemotherapy may alter sEV cargo, endowing it with robust nerve recruiting capacity.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

WNT and inflammatory signaling distinguish human Fallopian tube epithelial cell populations

A substantial fraction of ovarian/extra-uterine high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) likely originate in the distal region of the Fallopian tubes epithelium (TE) before implanting/metastasizing to the ovary. Unfortunately, molecular and cellular mechanisms rendering preferential cancer susceptibility of the human distal TE remain insufficiently elucidated, largely due to limited primary human TE gene expression data. Here we report an in depth bioinformatic characterization of 34 primary TE cell mRNA-seq samples. These samples were prepared from the proximal and distal TE regions of 12 normal Fallopian tubes. TE cells were segregated based on their aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. As compared to the proximal TE, cells from the distal region form organoids with higher frequency and larger size during serial organoid formation assays. Consistent with enrichment for organoid-forming stem/progenitor cells, ALDH+ cells have greater WNT signaling activity. Comparative evaluation of proximal and distal TE cell populations shows heightened inflammatory signaling in distal differentiated (ALDH-) TE. Furthermore, comparisons of proximal and distal TE cell populations finds that the distal TE express gene sets characteristic of four HGSC molecular sub-types, and that distal ALDH+ cell populations exhibit greater enrichment than their ALDH-counterparts. Taken together, our study shows that increased organoid forming capacity, WNT and inflammatory signaling, and HGSC signatures underlie the differences between distal and proximal regions of the human TE. These findings provide the basis for further mechanistic studies of distal TE susceptibility to the malignant transformation.

cancer biology↗