VSIG10L is a major determinant of esophageal homeostasis and inherited predisposition to Barrett’s esophagus

The molecular underpinnings contributing to the onset of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) remain elusive. By studying familial clusters of the disease, here we identify a significant association between genetic variants in the V-set and Immunoglobulin Domain Containing 10 Like (VSIG10L) gene and BE predisposition. Using mammalian tissues and patient-derived organoids, we show VSIG10L is selectively expressed in the suprabasal squamous cells of the esophageal mucosa and is essential for epithelial maturation and homeostasis. Mice carrying human-orthologous germline mutations in Vsig10l exhibit loss of desmosomes, concomitant with disrupted epithelial differentiation programs, in the squamous mucosa. Upon long-term exposure to a bile acid (deoxycholate) supplemented diet, Vsig10l-mutant mice develop overt BE-like lesions in the forestomach. Furthermore, loss of esophageal VSIG10L expression is observed frequently in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, a known risk factor for BE. Collectively, our study uncovers a fundamental link between VSIG10L, esophageal homeostasis, and BE predisposition. The factors contributing to the onset of Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous stage of the highly lethal esophageal cancer, remain elusive. Here, the authors identify inherited mutations in the VSIG10L gene as a key etiologic determinant affecting esophageal biology and facilitating the development of Barrett’s esophagus.