Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40380175›Full record

ArticleCancer cell international2025

Fibrogenesis-driven tumor progression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: prognostic, therapeutic implications and the dual role of neuropilin-1.

Kai Wang, Xihao Shen, Jiyue Wu, Qing Bi, Zihao Gao, Zejia Sun, Wei Wang

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In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cell international, 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

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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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

7 authors.

Kai Wang *Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Xihao Shen *Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jiyue Wu *Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Qing BiDepartment of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Zihao GaoDepartment of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Zejia SunDepartment of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. mnwkszj5076@163.com.
Wei WangDepartment of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. weiwang0920@163.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82370752
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the predominant subtype of renal cancer, with a poor prognosis driven by therapy resistance and a propensity for recurrence. Tumor microenvironment (TME)-associated fibrosis accelerates disease progression by fostering immune evasion. Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a key mediator in fibrotic signaling and cancer biology, has been implicated in these processes. However, the genetic correlation between fibrogenesis and ccRCC remains largely unexplored, necessitating a focused analysis of fibrogenesis-related genes (FRGs) to identify novel prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies.

methodsThis study utilized an integrative bioinformatics framework to identify prognosis-associated fibrogenesis-related genes (pFRGs) and applied non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to stratify ccRCC patients based on fibrotic signatures. A machine learning-derived prognostic model was developed to categorize patients into high-risk and low-risk groups, with tumor microenvironment (TME) features analyzed across these subgroups. The pro-tumorigenic role of NRP1 via the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway was validated in vitro and in vivo.

resultsTwelve pFRGs were identified, with elevated expression correlating with reduced survival. NMF revealed two ccRCC subtypes with different fibrotic and immune profiles. The high-fibrosis subtype showed worse survival and a pro-tumorigenic TME. The risk model demonstrated robust predictive performance (AUCs: 0.738, 0.731, 0.711 for 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival). High-risk patients, marked by immune dysfunction, exhibited worse survival but greater immunotherapy sensitivity. Among the pFRGs, NRP1 was upregulated in ccRCC, and paradoxically associated with favorable prognosis in TCGA, primarily due to stromal enrichment. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that NRP1 promotes ccRCC proliferation, migration, and invasion by enhancing TGF-β/SMAD-driven epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

conclusionFibrosis is a critical driver of ccRCC progression, linking fibrogenesis-related genes to poor prognosis, immune suppression, and tumor aggressiveness. NRP1 was identified as a central regulator of fibrosis-induced tumor progression through the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway. Combining NRP1 inhibition with anti-fibrotic therapies presents a potential strategy for enhancing therapeutic outcomes in ccRCC.

Indexed as

Clear cell renal cell carcinomaEpithelial-to-mesenchymal transitionFibrogenesisMachine learningNRP1TGF-β/SMAD pathway

Identifiers

PMID40380175
PMCPMC12082889

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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.