Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40066443›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Unveiling SSR4: a promising biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Jiaqi Zhang, Fang Jia, Chuqiao Li, Shunzhe Song, Aixia Gong

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

5 authors.

Jiaqi Zhang *Department of Digestive Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Fang Jia *Department of Digestive Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Chuqiao LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
Shunzhe SongDepartment of Digestive Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Aixia GongDepartment of Digestive Endoscopy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents a frequent cancer with a poor prognosis. Altered glucose metabolism contributes factor to ESCC progression. In our previous study, signal sequence receptor subunit delta (SSR4) was included in an ESCC prognostic model; however, the mechanisms underlying SSR4 implication in ESCC remain ambiguous. Accordingly, we aim to determine the interconnection between SSR4 expression and clinical characteristics of ESCC. Methods: This differential expression and prognostic significance of SSR4 was performed using bulk RNA-seq data and 110 patients with complete follow-up information. The ESCC cell subsets with the highest gene expression levels were identified with single-cell data. Gene function and enrichment, immune infiltration, cell communication, and molecular docking analyses were performed. Results: Unlike adjacent non-cancerous tissues, SSR4 was overexpressed in ESCC tissues, validated by both reverse transcription-qPCR and IHC staining. SSR4 expression was related to the N stage, lymph node metastasis, and AJCC TNM classification stage. Patients exhibiting low SSR4 expression had a more favorable prognosis. The highest SSR4 expression was recognized in tumor plasma cells. Continued exploration of immune infiltration highlighted a close association between SSR4 gene expression and the infiltration of immune cells such as plasma cells. On dividing cells into SSR4-positive and -negative groups, CellChat analysis indicated that SSR4 may regulate the interactions that existed between ESCC tumor plasma cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) by modulating the MIF/CD74/CXCR4 axis. Conclusion: The SSR4 gene may have significant relevance with clinical pathological factors, and play a critical role in the regulation of tumor microenvironment of ESCC patients. Overall, SSR4 may be a promising ESCC biomarker with prospective applicability in clinical diagnosis as well as the development of targeted treatment approaches in patients of ESCC.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaAgedFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPrognosisTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkers, Tumorbiomarkeresophageal squamous cell carcinomaimmune cellssingle-cell transcriptomicsSSR4

Identifiers

PMID40066443
PMCPMC11891195

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.