Triptolide Targets Super-Enhancer Networks in Pancreatic Cancer Cells and Cancer Associated Fibroblasts

This study invesitgated the super-enhancer (SE) networks in pancreatic cancer cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as well as the effects of triptolide treatment on the SEs and the expression of the SE associated genes using ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq. Overall design: A panel of pancreatic cancer cell lines and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were profiled for super-enhancer (SE) activities using H3K27ac based ChIP-Seq analysis. RNA-seq analysis was also performed on the same cell lines to profile the expression of SE associated genes. Selected cell lines were treated with triptolide and profiled for SE changes using ChIP-seq and/or gene expression changes using RNA-seq. The effects on the RNA expression profiled was compared to those of the CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 (known to disrupt super-enhancers).