Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41300283›Full record

ReviewBiology2025

Targeting C3a and C5a Signaling-A Game Changer for Cancer Therapy?

Hunter Hudgins, Valeria Molina, Stanley Wiernicki, Kenneth Okwuegbe, Xiaodong Feng, Hongbin Wang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Complement system in cancer: friend or foe of immunotherapy.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. 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

6 authors.

Hunter HudginsMaster Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.ORCID 0009-0008-3481-8544
Valeria MolinaMaster Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.
Stanley WiernickiMaster Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.
Kenneth OkwuegbePhD Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.
Xiaodong FengDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences College of Pharmacy, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.
Hongbin WangMaster Program of Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, 9700 West Taron Dr., Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Emerging evidence reveals a significant shift in understanding the complement system's role in cancer, where activation of a complement within the tumor microenvironment (TME) fuels tumor growth and metastasis instead of suppressing it. Research highlights C3a and C5a anaphylatoxins as key drivers of cancer progression, showing that the blockade of their signaling pathways can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. By interacting with immune cells in the TME, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), T cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, C3a and C5a promote immunosuppression, thereby driving cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, conflicting findings persist, despite growing evidence supporting the role of C3a and C5a in tumor progression and the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting pathological complement activation. This paper presents a systematic review of studies examining the activation of the complement system and the role of the C3a and C5a signaling pathways in the TME, focusing on their effects on tumor progression, their interactions with TME components, and the potential for targeting these signaling pathways to boost anti-tumor immune responses.

Indexed as

C3a/C3aR signalingC5a/C5aR signalingcancercomplementimmunotherapytumor microenvironment (TME)

Identifiers

PMID41300283
PMCPMC12649891

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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.