About ACSN 2.0

ACSN (https://acsn.curie.fr) is a web-based multi-scale resource of biological maps depicting molecular processes in cancer cell and tumor microenvironment. The Atlas represents interconnected cancer-related signalling and metabolic network maps. Molecular mechanisms are depicted on the maps at the level of biochemical interactions, forming a large seamless network of above 8000 reactions covering close to 3000 proteins and 800 genes and based on more than 4500 scientific publications. The Atlas is a "geographic-like" interactive "world map" of molecular interactions leading the hallmarks of cancer as described by Hanahan and Weinberg. Read more|Hide

Molecular mechanisms within cancer cell and components of tumor microenvironment are represented in the form of comprehensive maps manually created using systems biology standards, making these maps amenable for computational analysis. The content of the maps reflects the most recent knowledge on mechanisms implicated in cancer development.

The maps of ACSN 2.0 (https://acsn.curie.fr/Temp/maps.html) are interconnected, the regulatory loops between cancer cell and tumor microenvironment are systematically depicted. The cross-talk between signalling mechanisms and metabolic processes in the cancer cells is explicitly depicted thanks to new feature of the Atlas: ACSN 2.0 is now connected to RECON metabolic network, the largest graphical representation of human metabolism.

ACSN 2.0 is composed of 13 maps, which are all interconnected. There are six maps covering signalling processes involved in cancer cell development and four maps describing tumor microenvironment. In addition, there are 3 cell type-specific maps describing specific signalling within different cells types found in the surrounding mullei of cancer cell. This feature of ACSN 2.0 reflects heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment.

The maps of ACSN 2.0 have an hierarchical structure. They are decomposed into functional modules with understandable network layout. Navigation of the ACSN 2.0 is intuitive thanks to Google Maps-like features of NaviCell web platform. The exploration of the Atlas is simplified due to the semantic zooming feature, allowing to explore the seamless Atlas and individual maps from ACSN 2.0 collection at different levels of details description.

Cross-referencing with other databases and links to all scientific paper that were used for composition of the Atlas, allow the user to study in depth the features of ACSN 2.0 components.

The ACSN content is permanently expanded with new signalling network maps and updated by the latest discoveries in the field of cancer-related cell signalling. In addition, ACSN is not only a cancer-oriented database: ACSN maps depict fundamental cell signalling processes and can be used in cell signalling research.

The integrated NaviCell web-based tool box in the ACSN 2.0 resource, allows to import and visualize heterogeneous omics data on top of the ACSN 2.0 maps and to perform functional analysis of the maps. In addition, the associated NaviCom tool automatically generates ACSN-based molecular portraits of cancer using multi-level omics data from cancer data resources as cBioPortal.

Citing us

By using the Atlas (through the web interface, or the files you can download), you agree to cite it in any communication by refering to our main paper:
Kuperstein I, Bonnet E, Nguyen HA, Cohen D, Viara E, Grieco L, Fourquet S, Calzone L, Russo C, Kondratova M, Dutreix M, Barillot E, Zinovyev A. Atlas of Cancer Signalling Network: a systems biology resource for integrative analysis of cancer data with Google Maps. Oncogenesis. 2015 Jul 20;4:e160. doi: 10.1038/oncsis.2015.19. Pubmed ID: 26192618.

ACSN 2.0 in Numbers

ACSN 2.0 team

ACSN resource is developed at Institut Curie by the Computational Systems Biology of Cancer team Emmanuel Barillot
Eric Bonnet
Laurence Calzone
David Cohen
Mathurin Dorel
Simon Fourquet
Urszula Czerwinska
Laura Duciel
Luca Grieco
Maria Kondratova
Inna Kuperstein
Cristobal Monraz Gomez
Hien Anh Nguyen
Stuar Pook
Jean-Marie Ravel
Cristophe Russo
Nicolas Sompairac
Eric Viara
Andrei Zinovyev

Project Coordinator

Inna Kuperstein

ACSN former members

Eric Bonnet
David Cohen
Mathurin Dorel
Simon Fourquet
Luca Grieco
Alexander Klinge
Hien Anh Nguyen
Stuart Pook
Christophe Russo

ACSN 2.0 contributors

- Sebastian D Amigorena, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Inserm, U932, F-75005, Paris, FranceDenis Thieffry, Ecole Normale Supérieure - Département de Biologie, IBENS - UMR ENS - CNRS 8197 - INSERM 1024, Paris France.
- Mathieu Boissan, Centre de recherche St-Antoine, Inserm, UMR938, Sorbonne Université, Paris, FranceGordon Tucker, Oncology Research and Development Unit, Institut de Recherches SERVIER, Croissy-sur-Seine, France.
- Guido Kroemer, UMR1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, France
- Jennifer Modamio, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, Eschsur-Alzette, L-4362, LuxembourgPhilippe Chavrier, Institut Curie, Membrane and Cytoskeleton Dynamics, CNRS UMR 144, Paris, France.
- Vassili Soumelis, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Inserm, U932, F-75005, Paris, France
- Ines Thiele, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval, Eschsur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg
- Ronan M. T. Fleming, Division of Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Faculty of Science, University of Leiden, Leiden, 2333, The Netherlands

Acknowledgments