Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39994696›Full record

ReviewMolecular cancer2025

Cancer stem cells and niches: challenges in immunotherapy resistance.

Yonglong Pan, Chaoyi Yuan, Chenglong Zeng, Chaoyang Sun, Limin Xia, Guihua Wang, Xiaoping Chen, Bixiang Zhang, Jianfeng Liu, Ze-Yang Ding

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing 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

65 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: current and emerging therapeutic strategies.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Review
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  18. The relevance of mJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2026
    Review
  19. Review
  20. Review

5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

10 authors.

Yonglong Pan *Hepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Chaoyi Yuan *Hepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Chenglong Zeng *Hepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Chaoyang SunNational Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center, Key Laboratory of the MOE, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Limin XiaHubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Guihua WangHubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Xiaoping ChenHepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Bixiang ZhangHepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. bixiangzhang@hust.edu.cn.
Jianfeng LiuCellular Signaling laboratory, Key laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, International Research Center for Sensory Biology and Technology of MOST, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China. jfliu@hust.edu.cn.
Ze-Yang DingHepatic Surgery Center, Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. zyding@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.

Funding

First level of the public health youth top talent project of Hubei province 2022SCZ051National Natural Science Foundation of China 82303188National Natural Science Foundation of China 82400870National Natural Science Foundation of China 82472970Tongji Hospital (HUST) Foundation for Excellent Young Scientists 24-2KYC13057-05
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are central to tumor progression, metastasis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. Characterized by remarkable self-renewal and adaptability, CSCs can transition dynamically between stem-like and differentiated states in response to external stimuli, a process termed "CSC plasticity." This adaptability underpins their resilience to therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies (ACT). Beyond intrinsic properties, CSCs reside in a specialized microenvironment-the CSC niche-which provides immune-privileged protection, sustains their stemness, and fosters immune suppression. This review highlights the critical role of CSCs and their niche in driving immunotherapy resistance, emphasizing the need for integrative approaches to overcome these challenges.

Indexed as

Drug Resistance, NeoplasmImmunotherapyNeoplasmsNeoplastic Stem CellsStem Cell NicheAnimalsHumansTumor Microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID39994696
PMCPMC11852583

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.