Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41383630›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor-CD74 axis drives vascular smooth muscle cell-induced M1 macrophage polarization to exacerbate intracranial aneurysm inflammation.

Yao Chen, Jian-Huang Huang, Qi-Xiu Wang, Jian-Hua Song, Jian-Ning Chen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis identifies a MIF-driven keratinocyte-macrophage-Th2 axis as a key inflammatory circuit in atopic dermatitis.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2026
    Article
  2. 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.

Yao Chen *Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian, China.
Jian-Huang HuangDepartment of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian, China.
Qi-Xiu Wang *Department of Cerebral Diseases Rehabilitation III, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
Jian-Hua SongDepartment of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian, China.
Jian-Ning ChenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Intracranial aneurysms (IAs) develop and progress through pathological processes, including inflammation and abnormal changes in the vascular structure. The cytokine Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) is implicated in the pathology of vascular diseases. However, the role of MIF in IAs remains to be elucidated. Methods: Transcriptomic data from IA and normal arteries were analyzed to quantify MIF expression and immune infiltration (CIBERSORT). Methylation sequencing assessed MIF promoter methylation. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) defined secretory vascular smooth muscle cell (sVSMC) and M1-like macrophage proportions and MIF expression. Intercellular communication via the MIF-CD74 axis was evaluated using CellChat. Results: MIF mRNA was significantly upregulated in IAs (diagnostic AUC = 0.89) and correlated with increased M1-like macrophage infiltration (r = 0.783, p = 0.008). Hypomethylation of MIF was observed in IAs. scRNA-seq revealed expanded secretory VSMCs and M1-like macrophages, with elevated MIF in secretory VSMCs. CellChat confirmed enhanced MIF-CD74 signaling. Conclusion: We provide a comprehensive single-cell atlas of IAs and identify the sVSMC-derived MIF-CD74 axis as a novel mechanism driving macrophage M1 polarization and IA inflammation. This uncovers previously unrecognized sVSMC-macrophage crosstalk, establishing the MIF-CD74 axis as a promising immunomodulatory target for IA therapy.

Indexed as

Antigens, Differentiation, B-LymphocyteHistocompatibility Antigens Class IIIntracranial AneurysmIntramolecular OxidoreductasesMacrophage Migration-Inhibitory FactorsMacrophagesMuscle, Smooth, VascularMyocytes, Smooth MuscleCells, CulturedFemaleHumansInflammationMacrophage ActivationMaleMiddle AgedSignal TransductionAntigens, Differentiation, B-LymphocyteHistocompatibility Antigens Class IIIntramolecular Oxidoreductasesinvariant chainMacrophage Migration-Inhibitory FactorsMIF protein, humanCD74intracranial aneurysmsM1 macrophage polarizationmacrophage migration inhibitory factorsecretory vascular smooth muscle cells

Identifiers

PMID41383630
PMCPMC12689327

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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.