BUFFALO, NY – November 10, 2026 – A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on November 5, 2026, titled “Limitation of the therapeutic potential of DUSP4 through adaptive feedback partially mediated by DUSP5.” The study explores whether targeting a protein called DUSP4 could help control cancer growth. Researchers found that reducing DUSP4 activity slowed tumor growth in experimental models, but an adaptive response involving a related protein, DUSP5, appeared to limit its therapeutic potential. The study was co-first-authored by Barbara Hopfgartner and Monika Kriz, who contributed equally to the research, alongside Donat Alpar, Yvonne Westermaier, Marco H. Hofmann, Ralph A. Neumüller and Sarah Grosche. All authors are affiliated with Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG in Vienna, Austria. Neumüller and Grosche are the corresponding authors. Cancer cells depend on molecular signals to grow and divide. One important signaling network, known as the MAPK pathway, is frequently altered in cancer. While many existing treatments aim to block excessive MAPK activity, researchers are also investigating whether increasing this activity beyond tolerable levels could interfere with cancer cell growth. DUSP4 helps regulate the MAPK pathway by limiting the activity of ERK proteins. In cancers carrying the BRAF V600E mutation, DUSP4 may help prevent excessive signaling, making it a potential therapeutic target. To explore this possibility, the researchers used genetic approaches to reduce DUSP4 activity in colorectal cancer and melanoma cell models, including cells resistant to the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib. They found that DUSP4 reduction increased MAPK signaling and slowed cancer cell proliferation. In colorectal cancer cells, it also caused cell cycle arrest, preventing cells from progressing normally toward division. The team then examined the effects of DUSP4 reduction in mice bearing colorectal tumors. Although tumor growth was significantly inhibited, the tumors remained largely stable rather than shrinking. Signs of regrowth also appeared during the experiment, suggesting that cancer cells could adapt to the disruption. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/dusp5-feedback-linked-to-limited-therapeutic-potential-of-dusp4-in-colorectal-cancer/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28923 Correspondence to - Ralph A. Neumüller - ralph.neumueller@boehringer-ingelheim.com, and Sarah Grosche - sarah.grosche@boehringer-ingelheim.com Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TMvuD5wJvw Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28923 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, signaling, DUSP4, MAPK, biology To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
