The consensus molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer

Justin Guinney, Rodrigo Dienstmann, Xin Wang, Aurélien de Reyniès, Andreas Schlicker, Charlotte Soneson, Laetitia Marisa, Paul Roepman, Gift Nyamundanda, Paolo Angelino, Brian M Bot, Jeffrey S Morris, Iris M Simon, Sarah Gerster, Evelyn Fessler, Felipe De Sousa E Melo, Edoardo Missiaglia, Hena Ramay, David Barras, Krisztian HomicskoDipen Maru, Ganiraju C Manyam, Bradley Broom, Valerie Boige, Beatriz Perez-Villamil, Ted Laderas, Ramon Salazar, Joe W Gray, Douglas Hanahan, Josep Tabernero, Rene Bernards, Stephen H Friend, Pierre Laurent-Puig, Jan Paul Medema, Anguraj Sadanandam, Lodewyk Wessels, Mauro Delorenzi, Scott Kopetz, Louis Vermeulen, Sabine Tejpar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequently lethal disease with heterogeneous outcomes and drug responses. To resolve inconsistencies among the reported gene expression-based CRC classifications and facilitate clinical translation, we formed an international consortium dedicated to large-scale data sharing and analytics across expert groups. We show marked interconnectivity between six independent classification systems coalescing into four consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) with distinguishing features: CMS1 (microsatellite instability immune, 14%), hypermutated, microsatellite unstable and strong immune activation; CMS2 (canonical, 37%), epithelial, marked WNT and MYC signaling activation; CMS3 (metabolic, 13%), epithelial and evident metabolic dysregulation; and CMS4 (mesenchymal, 23%), prominent transforming growth factor-β activation, stromal invasion and angiogenesis. Samples with mixed features (13%) possibly represent a transition phenotype or intratumoral heterogeneity. We consider the CMS groups the most robust classification system currently available for CRC-with clear biological interpretability-and the basis for future clinical stratification and subtype-based targeted interventions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1350-1356
Number of pages7
JournalNature Medicine
Volume21
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2015

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