Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40941002›Full record

ArticleCancers2025

PIAS1 Shapes a Tumor-Suppressive Microenvironment by Suppressing Immune Evasion in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Parisa Ghahremanifard, Jinsu An, Ayan Chanda, Angela M Y Chan, Steven C Nakoneshny, T Wayne Matthews, Shamir P Chandarana, Robert D Hart, Martin D Hyrcza, Joseph C Dort and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Parisa GhahremanifardDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6583-5047
Jinsu AnDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0009-0001-3235-815X
Ayan ChandaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2692-8558
Angela M Y ChanCharbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7930-3949
Steven C NakoneshnyCharbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8920-0310
T Wayne MatthewsCharbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7596-6470
Shamir P ChandaranaOhlson Research Initiative, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6612-4717
Robert D HartOhlson Research Initiative, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
Martin D HyrczaCharbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
Joseph C DortCharbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0858-187X
Shirin BonniDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
Pinaki BoseDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8338-2838

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe SUMO E3 ligase PIAS1 (Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT1) regulates pathways such as TGFβ signaling and has been implicated in multiple cancers. However, its role in the tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly in non-malignant stromal and immune cells, remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the expression and functional relevance of PIAS1 within the TME of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

methodsPIAS1 protein expression was assessed via immunohistochemistry (IHC) on OSCC tissue microarrays. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets from OSCC tumors and normal tissues were analyzed to map cell-type-specific PIAS1 expression. Downstream effects were evaluated using differential gene expression, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and cell-cell communication inference.

resultsIHC analysis revealed that higher stromal PIAS1 levels correlated with improved survival. scRNA-seq analysis showed an increase in the proportion of PIAS1-expressing cells across most stromal and immune cell populations within OSCC-derived tumors compared to their counterparts in adjacent normal tissue. However, when comparing PIAS1-positive cells, expression levels were significantly reduced in cancer cells, CAFs, TAMs, T cells, and endothelial cells within the TME. PIAS1-positive CAFs, TAMs, and T cells exhibited activation of apoptotic and tumor-suppressive pathways, while PIAS1-negative counterparts showed enrichment of immunosuppressive signaling and immune checkpoint expression. Cell-cell communication analyses indicated that PIAS1 fosters an immune-activated TME by promoting pro-inflammatory signaling, M1-like TAM polarization, and T cell activation.

conclusionsPIAS1 expression in stromal and immune cells is associated with tumor-suppressive reprogramming of the OSCC microenvironment. These findings position PIAS1 as a potential modulator of anti-tumor immunity and candidate target for therapeutic intervention.

Indexed as

oral squamous cell carcinomaPIAS1single-cell RNA-seqtumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID40941002
PMCPMC12427710

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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.