Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39805872›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Increased SOAT2 expression in aged regulatory T cells is associated with altered cholesterol metabolism and reduced anti-tumor immunity.

Mingjiong Zhang, Jiahua Cui, Haoyan Chen, Yifan Cheng, Qiaoyu Chen, Feng Zong, Xiao Lu, Lang Qin, Yu Han, Xingwang Kuai and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

15 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Observational
  4. Hallmarks of the ageing lung: 10 years later.The European respiratory journal · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Nanozyme-Driven Ferroptosis-Cuproptosis Interplay in Lung Cancer.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026
    Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis in cancer pathogenesis.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2025
    Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
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

14 authors.

Mingjiong Zhang *Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Jiahua Cui *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Haoyan Chen *Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yifan Cheng *Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Qiaoyu ChenCentre for Assisted Reproduction, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Feng ZongJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xiao LuChangshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changshu No.1 People's Hospital, Changshu, China.
Lang QinDepartment of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yu HanJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Xingwang KuaiDepartment of Pathology, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Yuxing ZhangJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Minjie ChuDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, China. chuminjie@ntu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7533-9119
Shuangshuang WuJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. polariswu7632@njmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9526-7976
Jianqing WuJiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. jwuny@njmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0030-201X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Immune functions decline with aging, leading to increased susceptibility to various diseases including tumors. Exploring aging-related molecular targets in elderly patients with cancer is thus highly sought after. Here we find that an ER transmembrane enzyme, sterol O-acyltransferase 2 (SOAT2), is overexpressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells from elderly patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), while radiomics analysis of LSCC patients associates increased SOAT2 expression with reduced immune infiltration and poor prognosis. Mechanically, ex vivo human and mouse Treg cell data and in vivo mouse tumor models suggest that SOAT2 overexpression in Treg cells promotes cholesterol metabolism by activating the SREBP2-HMGCR-GGPP pathway, leading to enhanced Treg suppresser functions but reduced CD8

Indexed as

AgingCarcinoma, Squamous CellCholesterolLung NeoplasmsSterol O-AcyltransferaseT-Lymphocytes, RegulatoryAgedAnimalsCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesCell ProliferationFemaleHumansHydroxymethylglutaryl CoA ReductasesMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLCholesterolHMGCR protein, humanHydroxymethylglutaryl CoA ReductasesSREBF2 protein, humanSterol O-AcyltransferaseSterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2

Identifiers

PMID39805872
PMCPMC11729894

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.