Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40293517›Full record

ArticleMedical molecular morphology2026

Minichromosome maintenance 4 is associated with poor survival and stemness of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Yuto Fujiki, Akira Ishikawa, Narutaka Katsuya, Yuki Shiwa, Takafumi Fukui, Kazuya Kuraoka, Takeshi Sudo, Sho Tazuma, Yasutaka Ishii, Shiro Oka and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Medical molecular morphology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Yuto FujikiDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Akira IshikawaDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. a-ishikawa@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1528-1939
Narutaka KatsuyaDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Yuki ShiwaDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Takafumi FukuiDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Kazuya KuraokaDepartment of Diagnostic Pathology, National Hospital Organization (NHO), Kure Medical Center, and Chugoku Cancer Center, 3-1 Aoyama, Kure, 737-0023, Japan.
Takeshi SudoDepartment of Surgery, National Hospital Organization (NHO), Kure Medical Center, and Chugoku Cancer Center, 3-1 Aoyama, Kure, 737-0023, Japan.
Sho TazumaDepartment of Surgery, National Hospital Organization (NHO), Kure Medical Center, and Chugoku Cancer Center, 3-1 Aoyama, Kure, 737-0023, Japan.
Yasutaka IshiiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Shiro OkaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Wataru YasuiDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
Shinji MiiDepartment of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP21K15394Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP24K18398
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most well-known cancer types, with a persistently poor 5-year survival rate. We previously reported MCM4 as a molecule associated with cancer stem cells; however, its role in PDAC has not been reported. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to fill this gap in the literature. We analyzed MCM4 expression in 81 PDAC samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The functional role of MCM4 in PDAC was investigated using RNA interference in PDAC cell lines. Additionally, a single-cell analysis was conducted by downloading data from six PDAC cases. On IHC, high MCM4 expression was observed in 42 out of 81 (51.9%) PDAC cases. MCM4-positive PDAC was significantly associated with a higher pN grade. Furthermore, high MCM4 expression was linked to a significantly poorer prognosis and was identified as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. In PDAC cell lines, MCM4 knockdown impairs cell growth and spheroid formation. Single-cell analysis also revealed that MCM4-expressing cells were located upstream of the trajectory, with a cluster showing a correlation with KIFC1, which has been reported to be associated with cancer stemness. These results indicated the significance of MCM4 expression in PDAC and its association with cancer stemness.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalMinichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 4Neoplastic Stem CellsPancreatic NeoplasmsAgedBiomarkers, TumorCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisSingle-Cell AnalysisBiomarkers, TumorMCM4 protein, humanMinichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 4Cancer stem cellMCM4Molecular pathologyPancreatic cancerSingle cell analysis

Identifiers

PMID40293517
PMCPMC12967608

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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.