Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40629408›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Mechanistic study of CTHRC1 in promoting Wilms' tumor progression by regulating M2-type tumor-associated macrophages polarization.

Yingquan Zhuo, Xiaoyun Feng, Wenqi Zhang, Jun Du, Xu Sun, Xi Luo, Wei Wang, Hua Jiang, Huajian Gu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. CTHRC1Frontiers in immunology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
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

9 authors.

Yingquan Zhuo *Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Xiaoyun Feng *Shizhen College, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550200, China.
Wenqi Zhang *Department of Anesthesiology, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Jun DuDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Xu SunDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Xi LuoDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Wei WangSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
Hua JiangDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China. jianghua742021@163.com.
Huajian GuDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, The Afliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China. zhaoyaree@sina.com.

Funding

Guizhou Medical University Teaching Reform Research Project JG2023027Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects QianKeHe Basic-[2024] Youth 269Guizhou Provincial Teaching Content and Curriculum System Reform Project 2023139Science and Technology Fund Project of Guizhou Provincial Health Commission gzwkj2024-035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to investigate the role of Collagen triple helix repeat protein 1 (CTHRC1) in Wilms' tumor (WT) progression and elucidate its molecular mechanism in promoting WT malignancy through regulation of M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (M2-TAMs) infiltration and polarization.

methodsBioinformatics analysis was conducted using public databases to examine CTHRC1 expression and immune cell infiltration in WT. Single-cell sequencing was employed to analyze expression patterns of CTHRC1 and M2-TAMs markers. CTHRC1 expression and M2-TAM infiltration were validated in WT tissues using RT-qPCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate the biological functions of CTHRC1 in WT and its effects on M2-TAMs polarization. Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to explore potential signaling pathways. The TNFSF9-TNFRSF9 axis was further investigated through neutralizing antibody rescue experiments and co-localization analysis. The role of M2-TAMs in promoting WT progression via the PI3K/AKt pathway was examined using xenograft models and in vitro experiments.

resultsCTHRC1 and M2-TAMs were significantly overexpressed in WT tissues and positively correlated. CTHRC1 overexpression promoted WT cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and induced M2-TAMs polarization both in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome analysis revealed that CTHRC1 regulated M2-TAMs polarization through the TNFSF9-TNFRSF9 axis. CTHRC1 overexpression upregulated TNFSF9: expression and secretion in tumor cells, promoting its binding to TNFRSF9 on M2-TAMs. Neutralizing TNFSF9 or knockdown of TNFRSF9 significantly attenuated CTHRC1-induced M2-TAM infiltration and polarization. M2-TAMs promoted WT progression by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in tumor cells. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling reversed M2-TAM-mediated WT progression.

conclusionsCTHRC1 promotes WT progression by inducing M2-TAMs polarization through the TNFSF9-TNFRSF9 axis. M2-TAMs, in turn, enhance WT malignancy by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in tumor cells. These findings provide new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for WT diagnosis and treatment.

Indexed as

Cell PolarityDisease ProgressionExtracellular Matrix ProteinsKidney NeoplasmsTumor-Associated MacrophagesWilms TumorAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMicePhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktSignal TransductionCTHRC1 protein, humanExtracellular Matrix ProteinsPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktCTHRC1M2-TAMsPI3K/Akt signaling pathwayTNFSF9-TNFRSF9Wilms’ tumor

Identifiers

PMID40629408
PMCPMC12235959

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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.