Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40325149›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2025

The role of plasma-derived small extracellular vesicles in pre-metastatic niche formation through modulation of macrophages in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Diana Huber, Tsima Abou Kors, Lutz Schütt, Linda Hofmann, Annika Betzler, Ramin Lotfi, Franziska Oliveri, Sebastian Schmid, Barbara Wollenberg, Thomas K Hoffmann and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
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.

Diana HuberDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-7931-4831
Tsima Abou KorsDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8072-757X
Lutz SchüttDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
Linda HofmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-7659
Annika BetzlerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3261-7008
Ramin LotfiInstitute of Clinical Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics, German Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Baden Wuerttemberg-Hessia, Ulm, Germany.
Franziska OliveriDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3280-448X
Sebastian SchmidDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
Barbara WollenbergDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Thomas K HoffmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
Cornelia BrunnerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6456-5508
Marie-Nicole TheodorakiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany. marie-nicole.theodoraki@mri.tum.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5491-1593

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetastases are associated with poor survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important drivers in tumour progression and metastasis formation. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are another important factor that contribute to systemic immunosuppression and pre-metastatic niche formation. Here, we investigate the effect of plasma sEVs from HNSCC patients on pre-metastatic niche formation, directly or through modulation of macrophages.

methodsPrimary macrophages were incubated with sEVs from plasma of HNSCC patients or healthy donors (HD). RNA profiles and inflammatory properties of macrophages were evaluated. Direct and indirect effects of sEVs on chemotaxis, T cell activation, proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumour cells were investigated.

resultssEVs of HNSCC patients and HD induced different RNA profiles in macrophages. sEVs induced apoptosis and inhibition of T cell activation, while tumour cells were attracted by sEV-treated macrophages, but not sEVs directly. Proliferation was inhibited by both, sEVs and supernatant of EV-treated macrophages in HNSCC. Additionally, EMT in tumour cells was reversed by HNSCC sEV-treated macrophages.

conclusionsEVs from plasma of HNSCC patients transformed macrophages into metastasis-promoting TAMs and inhibited anti-tumour T cells, highlighting the potential of sEVs and TAMs as targets for therapeutic approaches.

Indexed as

Extracellular VesiclesHead and Neck NeoplasmsMacrophagesSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckTumor-Associated MacrophagesApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionFemaleHumansLymphocyte ActivationMaleMiddle AgedT-LymphocytesTumor Microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID40325149
PMCPMC12238395

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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.