Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40888912›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of urology2025

TROP-2 overexpression in papillary renal cell carcinoma supports its potential as a therapeutic target for antibody-drug-conjugate therapy.

Carolina Kessler, Melanie von Brandenstein, Niklas Klümper, Philipp Krausewitz, Enno Storz, Constantin Rieger, Laurenz Sperber, Pia Paffenholz, Yuri Tolkach, Ralph Wirtz and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in World journal of urology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

13 authors.

Carolina KesslerDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Melanie von BrandensteinDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Niklas KlümperDepartment of Urology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Philipp KrausewitzDepartment of Urology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Enno StorzDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Constantin RiegerDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Laurenz SperberDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Pia PaffenholzDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Yuri TolkachInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Ralph WirtzSTRATIFYER Molecular Pathology GmbH, Cologne, Germany.
Markus EcksteinInstitute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Axel HeidenreichDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany.
Richard WeitenDepartment of Urology, Uro-Oncology, Robot-Assisted and Specialized Urologic Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 , Cologne, Germany. richard.weiten@uk-koeln.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-7216-1033

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate the expression of trophoblast cell surface antigen-2 (TROP-2), a broadly expressed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) target, in non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC), and to perform a proof-of-concept analysis assessing the cytotoxic efficacy of the TROP-2-directed ADC Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in RCC cell lines.

methodsA cohort comprising clear cell RCC (ccRCC, n = 44), papillary (pRCC, n = 22), chromophobe (chRCC, n = 22), and benign renal tumors (n = 8, including oncocytoma and angiomyolipoma) was analysed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC) with H-score quantification, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In RCC cell lines, TROP-2 protein levels were assessed by Western blotting and flow cytometry, and SG cytotoxicity was evaluated using MTT assays.

resultsTROP-2 mRNA levels were significantly elevated in pRCC compared to ccRCC, chRCC and benign renal tumors (p < 0.001). IHC revealed moderate to strong membranous TROP-2 expression in most pRCC cases [n = 20/22 with H-score ≥ 100, median H-score 265 (IQR 202.5–290)], while TROP-2 expression was absent or weak in ccRCC and chRCC (p < 0.0001). Soluble TROP-2 was detectable in patient serum of RCC patients and strongly correlated with tissue expression (ρ = 0.78, p = 0.0001, R2 = 0.52). In vitro, TROP-2-positive Caki-1 cells exhibited significant growth inhibition after SG treatment, whereas TROP-2-negative 769-P cells showed resistance (p < 0.01).

conclusionThe selective overexpression of TROP-2 in pRCC, and its functional relevance demonstrated in vitro, provide compelling preclinical evidence supporting TROP-2 as a therapeutic target. These findings support further investigation of TROP-2-directed ADCs, such as SG, in patients with metastatic TROP-2-positive pRCC.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntigens, NeoplasmCarcinoma, Renal CellCell Adhesion MoleculesImmunoconjugatesKidney NeoplasmsCamptothecinCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMiddle AgedRNA, MessengerAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntigens, NeoplasmCamptothecinCell Adhesion MoleculesImmunoconjugatesRNA, Messengersacituzumab govitecanTACSTD2 protein, humanAntibody-drug conjugatesRenal cell carcinomaSacituzumab govitecanTROP-2

Identifiers

PMID40888912
PMCPMC12401752

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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.