Exercise-associated epigenetic remodeling and TCR repertoire dynamics in Lynch syndrome carriers
Lynch syndrome (LS) carriers are at elevated cancer risk. Emerging evidence suggests that exercise may serve as a non-pharmacologic preventive strategy, yet the epigenetic and immunological mechanisms underlying its protective effects in this population remain unclear. Here, we perform integrative multi-omics profiling of DNA methylation, gene expression, and the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in LS carriers undergoing a 52-week aerobic cycling intervention. We identify compartment-specific DNA methylation changes, including innate immune activation in cfDNA and oncogenic pathway repression in tissue. Integrative transcriptomic analysis highlights ISL1 as a key exercise-repressed, epigenetically regulated gene, and identifies FLCN as a colorectal cancer (CRC)-associated methylation target. TCR analysis reveals an exercise-associated increase in systemic repertoire diversity and tissue-specific clonal convergence, thus suggesting antigen-driven recruitment. Collectively, these findings uncover epigenetic and immune remodeling as potential mechanisms of exercise-mediated protection in LS.
Authors
- Susan C. Gilchrist (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9624-0292)
- Selvi Thirumurthi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5981-7590)
- Krishna M. Sinha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7163-7151)
- Nan Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0914-7220)
- Eduardo Vilar
- Abel Martel-Martel
- Fahriye Duzagac
- Laura Reyes-Uribe
- Jinling Wang
Institutions
- University of North Carolina Health Care (US)
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- iScience
- Published
- 2026-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117364
- Primary Topic
- Genetic factors in colorectal cancer
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center