Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41398290›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Single-cell and spatial atlas unveil tumor-specific microenvironment convergence and a prognosis-associated PLXDC1+ myofibroblast population in metastatic bladder cancer.

Ziwei Wang, Jiaying Miao, Maoyu Wang, Yidie Ying, Zhensheng Zhang, Shuxiong Zeng, Chuanliang Xu

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of translational medicine, 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

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ziwei Wang *Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China. wangziwei0010@163.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8799-812X
Jiaying Miao *Department of Urology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
Maoyu Wang *Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yidie Ying *Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Zhensheng ZhangDepartment of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China. 13761178177@163.com.
Shuxiong ZengDepartment of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China. zengshuxiong@126.com.
Chuanliang XuDepartment of Urology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China. chuanliang_xu@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile single-cell technologies have advanced bladder cancer research, the microenvironment of lymph node metastases and its role in progression remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate dynamic tumor-microenvironment interactions across metastatic and primary sites, identify poor-prognosis features, and uncover novel therapeutic targets.

methodsWe profiled matched single-cell and spatial transcriptomic samples from lymph node-metastasized bladder cancer to construct a high-resolution atlas. Bioinformatic analyses were used to inferred ligand-receptor interactions, regulatory networks, and spatial co-localization. Integration with multiple prognostic cohorts revealed key cell subpopulations linked to tumor biology and poor outcomes.

resultsOur atlas included 32 samples, 61 cell subtypes, key ligand signals (e.g., TGFB1, OSM, IFNG), 343 transcription factors, 188 co-localization events, over 1,000 spatially validated interactions, and 21 cell niches. Tumor-driven convergence was observed across distinct microenvironments. Notably, a pericyte-like myofibroblast subtype, myoCAF_PLXDC1, was enriched in malignant tissues, associated with poor prognosis, and exhibited enhanced angiogenic but reduced chemotactic activity compared to myoCAF_CCL21. Its phenotype was linked to intracellular regulators (PRRX1 and MXD4) and extracellular signals (IFNG and TGFB1). Spatially, myoCAF_PLXDC1 co-localized with ITGA8+ endothelial cells and enriched in tumor regions.

conclusionsThis study offers a comprehensive resource for lymph node-metastasized bladder cancer and identifies PLXDC1+ fibroblasts co-localized with ITGA8+ ECs as potential components of a tumor-specific vascular niche and therapeutic target.

Indexed as

MyofibroblastsSingle-Cell AnalysisTumor MicroenvironmentUrinary Bladder NeoplasmsGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansLymphatic MetastasisNeoplasm MetastasisNeovascularization, PathologicPrognosisAngiogenesisBladder cancerCell-cell communicationFibroblastPericyteSingle-cell analysisTumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID41398290
PMCPMC12821202

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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.