Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40408430›Full record

ArticleScience immunology2025

An engineered viral protein activates STAT5 to prevent T cell suppression.

Yating Zheng, Zehui Gu, Claire E Shudde, Taylor L Piper, Xinyu Wang, Grace A Aleck, Jiajia Zhou, Dana King, Monica K Chanda, Lilliana Trinch and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science immunology, 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. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. CD8Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Regulators of CD8Nature reviews. Immunology · 2026
    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.

Yating ZhengDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7369-8353
Zehui GuDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0009-0006-1494-9438
Claire E ShuddeDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2099-0131
Taylor L PiperDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-4892-228X
Xinyu WangDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Grace A AleckCellular and Molecular Biology Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-8765-8971
Jiajia ZhouDepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3113-8278
Dana KingBRCF Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4635-5272
Monica K ChandaCancer Biology Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1232-7759
Lilliana TrinchDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-7775-0285
Weiping ZouDepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7952-3549
Adam H CourtneyDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2829-1236

Funding

XenograftP30CA046592 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Alexey I Nesvizhskii · 1988 to 2026
$178.2M
Training Program in Tumor MicroenvironmentT32CA009676 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Maria G Castro, Analisa Virginia DiFeo · 1992 to 2026
$7.3M
Cellular and Molecular Biology at MichiganT32GM145470 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI John Chadwick Brenner · 2022 to 2026
$4.1M
Interdepartmental Training in Pharmacological SciencesT32GM140223 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Lori L Isom · 2021 to 2026
$3.8M
Mechanisms of ligand discrimination by the T cell signaling machineryR35GM146813 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Adam Courtney · 2022 to 2026
$1.9M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA046592NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009676NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM146813NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM140223NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM145470
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

T cell therapy efficacy can be compromised if cytokine-induced Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling is dysregulated or insufficient to sustain functionality. Here, we demonstrate that LCK kinase activity can be recruited to noncanonical protein substrates to directly activate targeted STAT proteins in T cells. STAT activation was accomplished by engineering the herpesvirus saimiri tyrosine kinase interacting protein (TIP) to provide a platform for the enforced recruitment of LCK to STAT proteins. We determined that a minimal region of TIP that binds to LCK could be combined with STAT binding sites derived from endogenous cytokine receptors. These constructs activated targeted STAT proteins in a cytokine-independent manner. We identified a STAT5 activator that sustained CD8+ T cell survival and cytotoxic function ex vivo in the absence of interleukin-2. Tumor outgrowth was reduced in vivo because of enhanced T cell persistence and functionality. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that the STAT5 activator prevented the expression of genes associated with an exhausted T cell fate. Our findings demonstrate that signaling pathways can be rewired in T cells to sustain their function in solid tumors.

Indexed as

CD8-Positive T-LymphocytesSTAT5 Transcription FactorViral ProteinsAnimalsHumansMiceMice, Inbred C57BLProtein EngineeringSignal TransductionSTAT5 Transcription FactorViral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40408430
PMCPMC12863462

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.