Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34548615›Full record

ArticleExperimental & molecular medicine2021

MRTF-A-NF-κB/p65 axis-mediated PDL1 transcription and expression contributes to immune evasion of non-small-cell lung cancer via TGF-β.

Fu Du, Xin Qi, Aotong Zhang, Fanfan Sui, Xuemin Wang, Christopher G Proud, Cunzhi Lin, Xinglong Fan, Jing Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental & molecular medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.2field-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

48 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Nobiletin in the modified Yiqi Jianpi Decoction enhances the antitumor activity of CD8The Korean journal of physiology & pharmacology : official journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  5. Bandgap-Engineered PtAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
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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

9 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Fu DuKey Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.
Xin QiKey Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.
Aotong ZhangKey Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.
Fanfan SuiKey Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China.
Xuemin WangSouth Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
Christopher G ProudSouth Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
Cunzhi LinDepartment of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266555, China.
Xinglong FanDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266035, China.
Jing LiKey Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People's Republic of China. lijing_ouc@ouc.edu.cn.
Ocean University of China · CNQingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology · CNAffiliated Hospital of Qingdao University · CNShandong University · CNSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute · AUUniversity of Adelaide · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

PD-L1 is abnormally regulated in many cancers and is critical for immune escape. Fully understanding the regulation of PD-L1 expression is vital for improving the clinical efficacy of relevant anticancer agents. TGF-β plays an important role in the low reactivity of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody immunotherapy. However, it is not very clear whether and how TGF-β affects PD-L1 expression. In the present study, we show that TGF-β upregulates the expression of the transcriptional coactivator MRTF-A in non-small-cell lung cancer cells, which subsequently interacts with NF-κB/p65 rather than SRF to facilitate the binding of NF-κB/p65 to the PDL1 promoter, thereby activating the transcription and expression of PD-L1. This leads to the immune escape of NSCLC cells. This process is dependent on the activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway. In vivo, inhibition of MRTF-A effectively suppresses the growth of lung tumor syngrafts with enrichment of NK and T cells in tumor tissue. Our study defines a new signaling pathway that regulates the transcription and expression of PD-L1 upon TGF-β treatment, which may have a significant impact on research into the application of immunotherapy in treating lung cancer.

Indexed as

AnimalsB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkersCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalDisease SusceptibilityGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGene Knockdown TechniquesHeterograftsHumansImmune EvasionLung NeoplasmsMiceModels, BiologicalProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkersCD274 protein, humanMRTFA protein, humanProteasome Endopeptidase ComplexTrans-ActivatorsTranscription Factor RelATransforming Growth Factor betaUbiquitin

Identifiers

PMID34548615
PMCPMC8492728
OpenAlexW3200996204

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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.