Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40399861›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

APOL4-mediated intracellular cholesterol trafficking is essential for glioblastoma cell growth.

Mingxiang Zhang, Tao Yang, Youcun Qian

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Apolipoproteins L involvement in immunity.Journal of human immunity · 2026
    Review
  3. 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

3 authors.

Mingxiang ZhangSchool of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 200031, China.
Tao YangShanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. yangtao@sinh.ac.cn.
Youcun QianSchool of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 200031, China. ycqian@sinh.ac.cn.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2020YFA0509100National Natural Science Foundation of China 32030039
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDysregulated fatty acid metabolism is a key contributor to poor prognosis in glioma, and targeting cholesterol metabolism represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Apolipoprotein L4 (APOL4), a member of the Apolipoprotein L family, has been implicated in lipid metabolism, but its role in glioma remains unclear.

methodsRNA-sequencing were performed to analysis gene expression under exogenous cholesterol treatment. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were performed using CGGA datasets to evaluate APOL4 expression, clinical correlations, and prognostic significance in GBM. In vitro experiments, including CRISPR-Cas9 mediated APOL4 knockdown, MTT assays, wound healing assays and immunofluorescence were performed to validate the oncogenic role of APOL4. Xenograft mouse models were employed to validate tumor growth in vivo.

resultsRNA-sequencing showed that exogenous cholesterol upregulated the expression of APOL4 in U-87 cells. Clinical database analysis revealed that APOL4 was significantly upregulated in human glioblastoma. Genetic depletion of APOL4 markedly suppressed glioblastoma cell proliferation in vitro and impaired xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, APOL4 localized to late endosomes and lysosomes, where it likely facilitated the cytoplasmic transport of exogenous cholesterol, supporting tumor cell growth.

conclusionsOur study identifies APOL4 as a novel regulator of cholesterol trafficking in glioma cells, promoting glioblastoma progression. These findings highlight APOL4 as a potential therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsCholesterolGlioblastomaAnimalsBiological TransportCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMicePrognosisXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysCholesterolAPOL4CholesterolGlioblastomalipid transport

Identifiers

PMID40399861
PMCPMC12093831

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.