SMYD3-Driven Metabolic Rewiring in Colorectal Liver Metastases

This study focuses on patients with colorectal cancer undergoing surgery for the primary tumor and/or liver metastases. Tumor samples collected during surgery will be used to generate patient-derived models (primary cultures, spheroids, and organoids) to study colorectal cancer stem cells. The main objective is to investigate the role of the lysine methyltransferase SMYD3 in metabolic reprogramming and adaptation to oxidative stress that enable colorectal cancer cells to survive and grow in the liver. Previous work has shown that SMYD3 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, promotes drug resistance, and regulates key oncogenic pathways, including c-MYC and the AMPK/mTOR axis. By identifying SMYD3-dependent pathways and pharmacologic vulnerabilities in cancer stem cells within liver metastases, this study aims to support the development of new therapeutic strategies that combine SMYD3 inhibitors with approved or experimental agents targeting tumor metabolism and oxidative stress responses

NCT Number	NCT07497789
Lead Sponsor	Azienda Ospedaliera Specializzata in Gastroenterologia Saverio de Bellis Collaborators: University of Bari
Conditions	CRC (Colorectal Cancer), Liver Metastases From Colorectal Primary Cancer
Enrollment	156 participants
Start Date	2026-05-10
Primary Completion	2027-05-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-05-10 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-06