CBX8 suppresses autophagy-dependent senescence in colorectal cancer by modulating the mTOR signaling pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common cancers worldwide. Cellular senescence, characterized by an irreversible state of growth arrest, has been recognized as a promising therapeutic strategy for combating cancer. Here, the oncogenic role of Chromobox homolog 8 (CBX8) in CRC and its regulatory mechanisms in cell senescence and transcriptional regulation were systematically investigated. We demonstrated that CBX8 deficiency suppresses colorectal tumorigenesis and promotes tumor cell senescence in both in vivo and in vitro models. Mechanistically, CBX8 inhibits autophagy-dependent senescence in CRC by modulating the mTOR signaling pathway through transcriptional repression of DDIT4, a known negative regulator of mTOR. CBX8 achieves this by recruiting TRIM28 to bind the promoter region of DDIT4, thereby maintaining the H3K27me3 modification status and repressing expression of DDIT4. Furthermore, our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of CBX8 inhibitors in combination with senescence-targeting agents, which significantly enhances antitumor effects in CRC xenograft models. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC progression and underscore the potential of CBX8 as a therapeutic target for developing targeted therapies and senolytic-based anticancer strategies. This study advances our understanding of CRC pathogenesis and offers promising directions for precision medicine in CRC treatment.