Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41287970›Full record

ArticleJournal of cellular physiology2025

ELF4/TRIB3/CDK6 Axis Promotes Cancer Stem Cell Activity in Endometrial Cancer.

Chun-Yu Chen, Yueh-Chun Lee, Yu-Hao Huang, Wen-Ling Wang, Wen-Wei Chang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cellular physiology, 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

5 authors.

Chun-Yu ChenDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yueh-Chun LeeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yu-Hao HuangDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wen-Ling WangDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wen-Wei ChangDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0003-2283-1377

Funding

This study was supported by the National Science and Technology Council in Taiwan (to WWC, grant numbers 110-2320-B-040-026, 111-2320-B-040-007-MY3, and 114-2320-B-040-005-MY3) and Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital (to CYC, grant number TTMHH-R1140032).
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most prevalent gynecological malignancy globally. Here, we explored the role of E74-like ETS transcription factor 4 (ELF4) in EC progression. Using the TISIDB web tool to analyze TCGA data, we found that elevated ELF4 expression correlates with higher histological grades and reduced overall survival in EC patients. Tissue microarray analysis confirmed a grade-dependent increase in ELF4 protein levels. Knockdown of ELF4 in EC cell lines (AN3CA, HEC-1A) and patient-derived EC cells suppressed proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cancer stem cell (CSC) activity. Database analysis and RNA interference identified cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) as a downstream target of ELF4. ELF4 silencing reduced CDK6 mRNA and protein expression, while chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed direct binding of ELF4 to the CDK6 promoter. Conversely, ELF4 overexpression upregulated CDK6. Knockdown of CDK6 or treatment with the CDK4/6 inhibitor Palbociclib diminished tumorsphere formation and expression of stemness markers (OCT4, NANOG, c-MYC) in both conventional and patient-derived EC cells. We previously reported that the tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3)/ELF4 complex transactivates CTNNB1 expression; here, we show that TRIB3 knockdown also downregulates CDK6 at mRNA and protein levels, suggesting cooperative regulation of CDK6 by ELF4 and TRIB3. In EC specimens, ELF4, TRIB3, and CDK6 expression positively correlated, and Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that high co-expression of these genes predicted the poorest overall survival. Collectively, our findings establish the ELF4/TRIB3/CDK6 axis as a critical regulator of EC progression and CSC maintenance, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for EC.

Indexed as

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6DNA-Binding ProteinsEndometrial NeoplasmsNeoplastic Stem CellsRepressor ProteinsTranscription FactorsCell Cycle CheckpointsCell Cycle ProteinsCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationDatabases, GeneticGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansPrognosisProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesSignal TransductionCDK6 protein, humanCell Cycle ProteinsCyclin-Dependent Kinase 6DNA-Binding ProteinsELF4 protein, humanProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesRepressor ProteinsTranscription FactorsTRIB3 protein, humancancer stem cellscyclin‐dependent kinase 6E74‐like ETS transcription factor 4endometrial cancertribbles pseudokinase 3

Identifiers

PMID41287970
PMCPMC12645360

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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.