CRISPR screens identify cholesterol biosynthesis as a therapeutic target on stemness and drug resistance of colon cancer

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor progression, recurrence, and drug resistance. To identify genetic vulnerabilities of colon cancer, we performed targeted CRISPR dropout screens comprising 657 Drugbank targets and 317 epigenetic regulators on two patient-derived colon CSC-enriched spheroids. Next-generation sequencing of pooled genomic DNAs isolated from surviving cells yielded therapeutic candidates. We unraveled 44 essential...