Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41449178›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Transcriptomics-based analysis of key genes and potential mechanism and therapeutic agents in cadmium-induced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression.

Rui Zhu, Jiongyu Chen, Xiarong Zhang, Qian Chen, Yingming Jin, Mingqin Zeng, Jianan Luo, Yiteng Huang, Lin Peng

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 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

9 authors.

Rui Zhu *Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Jiongyu Chen *Central Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Xiarong ZhangCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Qian ChenCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Yingming JinCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Mingqin ZengCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Jianan LuoCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Yiteng HuangHealth Care Center, TThe First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China. g_ythuang@stu.edu.cn.
Lin PengCentral Laboratory, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China. g_lpeng@stu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81602886National Natural Science Foundation of China-Guangdong Joint Fund 2020A1515010945Science and Technology Plan Projects in Shantou Guangdong Province [2022] 88-6
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic cadmium exposure is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression, treatment resistance, and poor prognosis, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Based on whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) on chronic cadmium-treated (CCT) and untreated human EC109 ESCC cells, we performed lncRNA-mRNA co-expression and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses to screen the hub genes related to cadmium exposure. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses depicted that these genes were mainly enriched in nucleocytoplasmic transport, ferroptosis, Huntington disease, and cellular senescence. Based on the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA potential interaction, three lncRNAs (AC107068.1, TTN-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1) and ten mRNAs (IPO5, NUDCD1, OSTM1, CCNB1, FANCD2, TFRC, POLR2B, HTT, NUP43, NBN) were selected for competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network construction. Connectivity map (CMap) analysis for the target mRNAs showed that JAK3-inhibitor-I was the most promising therapeutic drug for cadmium-induced ESCC progression. The prognostic value and abnormal expression of the candidate mRNAs were then validated in TCGA cohorts, cadmium-treated cancer cells and 41 ESCC specimens. Moreover, migration and invasion assays were performed to assess the effects of the identified gene on cell malignant phenotypes. As a result, IPO5 was identified as the pivotal gene and MAPKAPK5-AS1-hsa-miR-379-5p-IPO5 was deemed as a potential ceRNA regulatory mechanism for cadmium carcinogenesis in ESCC. Using TIMER and EPIC algorithms, IPO5 was correlated with increased infiltration of CD4+ T cells and macrophages, while negatively associated with CD8+ T cells and NK cells in ESCC tissues. Collectively, our study provides valuable information in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in cadmium-induced ESCC progression and treatment resistance. Furthermore, we predict potential agents for cadmium carcinogenicity prevention and treatment.

Indexed as

CadmiumEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaTranscriptomeCell Line, TumorDisease ProgressionGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGene Regulatory NetworksHumansMicroRNAsProtein Interaction MapsRNA, Competitive EndogenousRNA, Long NoncodingRNA, MessengerCadmiumMicroRNAsRNA, Competitive EndogenousRNA, Long NoncodingRNA, MessengerCadmiumCeRNA networkCo-expression analysisEsophageal squamous cell carcinomaIPO5

Identifiers

PMID41449178
PMCPMC12823602

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.