Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40730191›Full record

ArticleCell reports. Medicine2025

Interferon-driven CAF reprogramming augments immunogenic response to neoadjuvant radiotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Lili Huang, Weiqing Lu, Ruiyan Wu, Yida Li, Zirui Ou, Jianhua Chen, Yujun Liu, Wang Yang, Weisong Xue, Peiyuan Mu and 9 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports. Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing 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

14 citing papers in PubMed.

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  8. Cytokines and cancer-associated fibroblasts.Journal of hematology & oncology · 2026
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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

19 authors.

Lili HuangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Weiqing LuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Ruiyan WuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Yida LiDepartment of Radiology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China.
Zirui OuDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Jianhua ChenDepartment of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Yujun LiuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Wang YangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Weisong XueDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University and The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong 515100, China.
Peiyuan MuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Ruone XuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Zhiyuan ZhangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Lijun ShenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Yan WangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Juefeng WanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Fan XiaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China.
Zebin XiaoNurturing Center of Jiangsu Province for State Laboratory of AI Imaging & Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China. Electronic address: zbxiao@seu.edu.cn.
Hui ZhangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China. Electronic address: zhui_happy@126.com.
Zhen ZhangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai 20032, China. Electronic address: zhen_zhang@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The efficacy of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in patients with rectal cancer (RC) is hindered by the plasticity and heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing of patients with RC samples revealed a CAF subpopulation characterized by high interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) expression. These IFN-licensed CAFs (ilCAFs) are enriched in tumors with enhanced RT responses across various solid tumors, including RC. Mechanistically, IFN gamma (IFN-γ) signaling drives the polarization of ilCAFs, leading to the recruitment of T cells and dendritic cells via CCL4/CCL5 secretion. Activation of IFN-γ/stimulator of IFN genes (STING) signaling reprograms the stroma and augments anti-tumor immunity in both RT-sensitive and RT-resistant colorectal cancer. Silencing STING in CAFs impairs ilCAF enrichment and diminishes tumor sensitivity to RT. Combining STING agonists with RT results in robust tumor control, providing a compelling rationale for clinical translation.

Indexed as

Cancer-Associated FibroblastsCellular ReprogrammingColorectal NeoplasmsInterferon-gammaInterferonsNeoadjuvant TherapyAnimalsCell Line, TumorDendritic CellsHumansInterferon Regulatory Factor-1Membrane ProteinsMiceRectal NeoplasmsSignal TransductionSTING ProteinInterferon-gammaInterferon Regulatory Factor-1InterferonsMembrane ProteinsSTING1 protein, humanSTING ProteinCAFscDC1IFN/STING pathwaysradiationSTING agonist

Identifiers

PMID40730191
PMCPMC12432360

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.