Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40592832›Full record

ArticleCell death discovery2025

N6-methyladenosine modification of MEF2A weakens cetuximab sensitivity in colorectal cancer via PD-L1/SOX12 axis.

Cao Gao, Jiajia He, Jiemin Zhao, Xuefeng Ni, Yanjie Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell death discovery, 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

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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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

5 authors.

Cao GaoDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
Jiajia HeDepartment of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
Jiemin ZhaoDepartment of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
Xuefeng NiDepartment of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
Yanjie XuDepartment of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China. sissi-86714@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3153-7359

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment is still a challenge due to chemoresistance. We explored MEF2A function and underlying mechanism on cetuximab sensitivity in CRC. In this study, cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous samples were harvested from CRC patients. Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis in CRC cells were tested by CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays. The binding of MEF2A on the PD-L1 promoter was validated using luciferase reporter assay, CHIP, and EMSA, while the relationship of PD-L1 and SOX12 mRNA, as well as RBM15/IGF2BP1 and MEF2A mRNA, was verified by RIP, RNA pull-down, or FISH combined with immunofluorescence. m6A modification level of MEF2A mRNA was assayed by MeRIP. The expressions of key genes and proteins, including MEF2A, PD-L1, SOX12, RBM15, IGF2BP1, apoptosis- and cell cycle-related proteins, were determined with RT-qPCR, western blot, or immunohistochemistry. In vivo function of MEF2A was validated by establishing a xenograft nude mice model. The results showed that MEF2A was increased in CRC cells and tissues, while it was higher in cetuximab-resistant CRC tissues. Silencing MEF2A improved the sensitivity of cetuximab in CRC cells and xenograft mice. MEF2A binds to PD-L1 promoter to transcriptionally upregulate PD-L1 expression. Increased cetuximab sensitivity was observed in PD-L1 knockout (KO) CRC cells. PD-L1 overexpression reversed the enhanced cetuximab sensitivity induced by MEF2A knockdown. PD-L1 binds to SOX12 mRNA to stabilize its expression. PD-L1 knockdown augmented cetuximab sensitivity, which was overturned by SOX12 overexpression. The m6A modification mediated by RBM15/IGF2BP1 upregulated MEF2A expression in cetuximab-resistant CRC tissues. In conclusion, m6A-modified MEF2A alleviated cetuximab sensitivity in CRC via PD-L1/SOX12 mRNA axis, indicating that MEF2A might function as a promising therapeutic target against cetuximab-resistant CRC.

Identifiers

PMID40592832
PMCPMC12219012

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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.