Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40688078›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Integrated multiomics analysis identifies PHLDA1+ fibroblasts as prognostic biomarkers and mediators of biological functions in pancreatic cancer.

Rui Wang, Guan-Hua Qin, Yifei Jiang, Fu-Xiang Chen, Zi-Han Wang, Lin-Ling Ju, Lin Chen, Da Fu, En-Yu Liu, Su-Qing Zhang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 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. Review
  3. 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

11 authors.

Rui Wang *Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Guan-Hua Qin *Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Yifei Jiang *Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Fu-Xiang ChenMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Zi-Han WangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Lin-Ling JuNantong Institute of Liver Disease, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Lin ChenNantong Institute of Liver Disease, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Da FuDepartment of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
En-Yu Liu *Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Su-Qing Zhang *Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Wei-Hua Cai *Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is marked by extensive heterogeneity, posing significant challenges to effective treatment. The tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), plays a critical role in driving PC progression. However, the prognostic and functional contributions of distinct CAF subtypes remain inadequately understood. Here, we introduce a novel 7-gene risk model that not only robustly stratifies PC patients but also unveils the unique role of PHLDA1 as a key mediator in tumor-stroma crosstalk. Methods: By integrating single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, and bulk RNA sequencing data, we comprehensively characterized the heterogeneity of CAFs in PC. We identified five CAF subtypes and focused on matrix CAFs (mCAFs), which were strongly associated with poor prognosis. A 7-gene mCAF-associated risk model was constructed using advanced machine learning algorithms, and the biological significance of PHLDA1 was validated through co-culture experiments and pan-cancer analyses. Results: Our multiomics analysis revealed that the novel 7-gene model (comprising USP36, KLF5, MT2A, KDM6B, PHLDA1, REL, and DDIT4) accurately predicts patient survival, immunotherapy response, and TME status. Notably, PHLDA1 was uniquely overexpressed in CAFs and correlated with the activation of key protumorigenic pathways, including EMT, KRAS, and TGF-β, underscoring its central role in modulating the crosstalk between CAFs and malignant ductal cells. Pan-cancer analysis further supported PHLDA1's prognostic and immunomodulatory significance across multiple tumor types. Conclusion: Our study presents a novel 7-gene prognostic model that significantly enhances risk stratification in PC and identifies PHLDA1+ CAFs as promising prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. These findings provide new insights into the TME of PC and open avenues for personalized treatment strategies.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorCancer-Associated FibroblastsPancreatic NeoplasmsTranscription FactorsGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMultiomicsPrognosisSingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkers, TumorTranscription Factorspancreatic cancerPHLDA1prognostic biomarkerspatial transcriptomicstumor microenvironment (TME)

Identifiers

PMID40688078
PMCPMC12271128

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.