Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41271789›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Adipocytes enhance tongue cancer progression potentially via IL-6 and extracellular vesicles.

Johanna Peltonen, Riia Tiikkaja, Laura Ketomäki, Sane Taivaanlahti, Tiina Kaakkuriniemi, Susanna Kokkonen, Janne Heikkinen, Sanna Palosaari, Janne Väisänen, Jukka Tikanto and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 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. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
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

16 authors.

Johanna PeltonenDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Riia TiikkajaResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Laura KetomäkiResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Sane TaivaanlahtiResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Tiina KaakkuriniemiResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Susanna KokkonenResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Janne HeikkinenMedical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Sanna PalosaariMedical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Janne VäisänenMedical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Jukka TikantoMedical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Petri KoivunenMedical Research Centre Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Ahmed Al-SamadiDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Maija RisteliResearch Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Tuula SaloDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. tuula.salo@helsinki.fi.
Pirjo Åström *Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, FI-90220, Finland.
Krista Juurikka *Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, FI-90220, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2969-4486

Funding

Oulu University Hospital K43712Research Council of Finland #308363
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Obesity is associated with the increased incidence of various cancers. However, the connection between high body mass index and oral cancer risk is partly controversial, and the mechanistic role of adipocytes is largely unknown. We aimed to study the prognostic value and function of adipose tissue in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). The amount of adipocytes in OTSCC samples correlated positively with tumour size. High tumoural inflammatory cell count predicted better overall survival. Patient-derived adipose tissue and adipocytes (differentiated from adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells) induced the proliferation of OTSCC cells in vitro. Moreover, adipocytes increased the migration of cancer cells from both primary and metastatic sites without the need for direct cell-cell contact. Various cytokines, including interleukin 6 (IL-6), were present at high levels in adipocyte-OTSCC co-cultures, and inhibition of IL-6 signalling markedly reduced cancer cell migration. Moreover, the adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) induced OTSCC cell invasion. We conclude that adipocytes increase the proliferation of cancer cells and enhance their motility without direct cell contact. The protumourigenic effect of adipocytes is likely mediated by secreted cytokines, such as IL-6, and transported via EVs.

Indexed as

AdipocytesExtracellular VesiclesInterleukin-6Tongue NeoplasmsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationCoculture TechniquesDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedIL6 protein, humanInterleukin-6AdipocytesExtracellular vesiclesInterleukin-6Oral tongue cancer

Identifiers

PMID41271789
PMCPMC12639075

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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.