Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33232304›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of clinical investigation2021

Myeloid cell-targeted STAT3 inhibition sensitizes head and neck cancers to radiotherapy and T cell-mediated immunity.

Dayson Moreira, Sagus Sampath, Haejung Won, Seok Voon White, Yu-Lin Su, Marice Alcantara, Chongkai Wang, Peter Lee, Ellie Maghami, Erminia Massarelli and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of clinical investigation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 80 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  5. Macrophages Drive Ferroptosis Resistance after Radiotherapy.Cancer communications (London, England) · 2026
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  18. Orchestration of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in the Tumor Cell-Macrophage-CD8International journal of biological sciences · 2025
    Review
  19. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Dayson MoreiraDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Sagus SampathRadiation Oncology.
Haejung WonDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Seok Voon WhiteDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Yu-Lin SuDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Marice AlcantaraDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Chongkai WangDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Peter LeeDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Ellie MaghamiSurgery Department, and.
Erminia MassarelliMedical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
Marcin KortylewskiDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
City Of Hope National Medical Center · USRadiation Oncology Associates · US

Funding

Transgenic Mouse FacilityP30CA033572 · NCI · CITY OF HOPE/BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI STANLEY R. HAMILTON · 1985 to 2026
$86.3M
Cell-Selective CpG-STAT3 Inhibitors for Radioimmunotherapy of Malignant GliomaR01CA215183 · NCI · BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE · PI KORTYLEWSKI, MARCIN · 2018 to 2022
$2.3M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA033572NCI NIH HHS R01 CA215183
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The tumor microenvironment affects the outcome of radiotherapy against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We recently found that tolerogenic myeloid cells accumulate in the circulation of HNSCC patients undergoing radiotherapy. Here, we analyzed tumor-containing lymph node biopsies collected from these patients. After 2 weeks of radiotherapy, we found an increase in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with activated STAT3, while CD8+ T cells were reduced as detected using multiplex IHC. Gene expression profiling indicated upregulation of M2 macrophage-related genes (CD163, CD206), immunosuppressive mediators (ARG1, LIF, TGFB1), and Th2 cytokines (IL4, IL5) in irradiated tumors. We next validated STAT3 as a potential target in human HNSCC-associated TAMs, using UM-SCC1 xenotransplants in humanized mice. Local injections of myeloid cell-targeted STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide (CpG-STAT3ASO) activated human DCs/macrophages and promoted CD8+ T cell recruitment, thereby arresting UM-SCC1 tumor growth. Furthermore, CpG-STAT3ASO synergized with tumor irradiation against syngeneic HPV+ mEERL and HPV- MOC2 HNSCC tumors in mice, triggering tumor regression and/or extending animal survival. The antitumor immune responses were CD8+ and CD4+ T cell dependent and associated with the activation of antigen-presenting cells (DCs/M1 macrophages) and increased CD8+ to regulatory T cell ratio. Our observations suggest that targeted inhibition of STAT3 in tumor-associated myeloid cells augments the efficacy of radiotherapy against HNSCC.

Indexed as

CD8-Positive T-LymphocytesHead and Neck NeoplasmsImmunity, CellularMyeloid CellsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckTh2 CellsAnimalsCell Line, TumorMiceCancer immunotherapyHead and neck cancerImmunologyOncologyRadiation therapy

Identifiers

PMID33232304
PMCPMC7810478
OpenAlexW3110321409

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.