Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40319103›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals a fibroblast gene signature that promotes T-cell infiltration in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Zige Liu, Xingning Mao, Yuli Xie, Yunkun Yan, Xiang Wang, Junhao Mi, Hao Yuan, Jiange Zhang, Caisheng Huang, Jianxin Chen and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing 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

11 citing papers in PubMed.

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  6. CTHRC1Frontiers in immunology · 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

16 authors.

Zige Liu *Institute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xingning Mao *Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Yuli Xie *Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Yunkun YanInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xiang WangCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Junhao MiCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Hao YuanCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Jiange ZhangInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Caisheng HuangInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Jianxin ChenInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Mujia JiliCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Shengzhu HuangCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Qingyun ZhangInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Fubo WangInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Zengnan MoInstitute of Urology and Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. mozengnan@gxmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3047-3138
Rirong YangCenter for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, University Engineering Research Center of Digital Medicine and Healthcare, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. yangrirong@sr.gxmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-5349-343X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is characterized by a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that drives aggressive progression and treatment resistance. Previous studies have highlighted the roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and exhausted T (Tex) cells in MIBC, but their interactive mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing of 19 tissue samples from 12 patients-7 MIBC, 3 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and 9 normal tissue samples-identified 13 transcriptionally distinct fibroblast clusters and 10 functionally heterogeneous T-cell subsets. Two interferon (IFN)-responsive fibroblast populations, F-ISG15 (inflammatory CAFs) and F-POSTN (myofibroblastic CAFs), were shown to predominate in the MIBC TME. In vivo experiments demonstrated that IFN-γ secreted by Tex cells polarizes CAFs to secrete CXCL12, which recruits CXCR4-expressing T cells via the CXCL12-CXCR4 chemotactic axis. Spatial analysis revealed a bidirectional loop: Tex-derived IFN-γ sustains CAF activation, whereas CAF-secreted CXCL12 amplifies Tex infiltration. Clinically, activated CAF signatures correlate with advanced disease stages and reduced patient survival in MIBC. These findings establish CXCL12 and IFN signaling as critical therapeutic targets, offering new strategies to disrupt immunosuppressive TME crosstalk and improve outcomes for MIBC patients.

Indexed as

Cancer-Associated FibroblastsLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingT-LymphocytesUrinary Bladder NeoplasmsAnimalsChemokine CXCL12FemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansInterferon-gammaMaleMiceNeoplasm InvasivenessSequence Analysis, RNASingle-Cell AnalysisTumor MicroenvironmentChemokine CXCL12CXCL12 protein, humanInterferon-gamma

Identifiers

PMID40319103
PMCPMC12049545

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.