Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41519773›Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer2026

Tumor-associated macrophages promote chemoresistance to Paclitaxel via activating NOTCH2-JAG1 juxtacrine signaling.

Fazhi Yu, Qin Zhou, Weiqiang Yu, Tong Zhou, Cheng Cao, Yijia Xie, Peng Zhang, Hanyuan Liu, Wei He, Aoxing Cheng and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer, 2026. 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. 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

18 authors.

Fazhi Yu *Department of Digestive disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Qin Zhou *State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Weiqiang YuState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Tong ZhouState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Cheng CaoCenter for Reproduction and Genetics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Yijia XieState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Peng ZhangState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Hanyuan LiuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Wei HeDepartment of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, 78957, USA.
Aoxing ChengState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Xiaopeng MaDepartment of General Surgery, the First affiliated hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
Qingfa WuState Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Qi ZhaoMoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
Jing GuoDepartment of Digestive disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. jguo2013@ustc.edu.cn.
Kaiguang ZhangDepartment of Digestive disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. zhangkaiguang@ustc.edu.cn.
Ying ZhouDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. caddiezy@ustc.edu.cn.
Jue ShiCenter for Quantitative Systems Biology, Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China. jshi@hkbu.edu.hk.
Zhenye YangDepartment of Digestive disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, the First affiliated hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. zhenye@ustc.edu.cn.

Funding

Hong Kong Research Grant Council Research Fellow Scheme #RFS2021-2S01National Natural Science Foundation of China 32000492National Natural Science Foundation of China 32170736National Natural Science Foundation of China 92357301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTaxane-based chemotherapy is a main treatment modality for ovarian cancer and other solid tumors, but chemoresistance limits the clinical efficacy. Studies have shown tumor interaction with macrophages in the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a significant role in taxane resistance, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood.

methodsIn this study, we employed translatome profiling of paclitaxel-treated cancer cells, live-cell imaging analysis, gene knockdown/knockout, and in vitro cancer-macrophage coculture assays to unravel a novel chemoresistance mechanism mediated by tumor-macrophage interaction via the NOTCH2-JAG1 axis. The in vitro data were further validated by multiple xenograft, syngeneic and patient-derived xenograft mouse tumor models of ovarian cancer as well as ovarian cancer patient samples.

resultsWe found paclitaxel selectively induced translational upregulation of NOTCH2 via cytoplasmic polyadenylation, and this NOTCH2 upregulation persisted after mitotic exit. Subsequent NOTCH2 activation by JAG1 expressed mainly on the neighboring macrophages promoted tumor cell survival and simulated cytokine release, such as CSF1 and IL-1β, that recruited JAG1-expressing macrophages, thus forming a positive feedback loop that further enhanced the pro-tumor NOTCH2 activity. Genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of NOTCH2 with the γ-secretase inhibitor attenuated macrophage infiltration and sensitized tumor response to paclitaxel in multiple preclinical models of ovarian cancer. Moreover, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis identified a JAG1-high macrophage subset that was enriched by paclitaxel treatment and attenuated by NOTCH inhibition. Clinically, high NOTCH2 expression in ovarian tumors was associated with recurrence and shorter progression-free survival of ovarian cancer patients.

conclusionsPaclitaxel-induced translational upregulation of NOTCH2 enables immediate juxtacrine activation by JAG1-positive macrophages, coupling tumor cell survival with immune remodeling in the tumor microenvironment to drive chemoresistance. Our results suggest NOTCH2 is a viable biomarker for paclitaxel resistance and that combining NOTCH2 inhibitor with taxane is an effective therapeutic strategy to selectively disrupt tumor-macrophage interaction and overcome macrophage-mediated taxane resistance in NOTCH2-positive tumors.

Indexed as

Drug Resistance, NeoplasmJagged-1 ProteinPaclitaxelReceptor, Notch2Signal TransductionTumor-Associated MacrophagesAnimalsAntineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicCell Line, TumorFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceOvarian NeoplasmsTumor MicroenvironmentXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysAntineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicJAG1 protein, humanJagged-1 ProteinNOTCH2 protein, humanPaclitaxelReceptor, Notch2Anti-mitotic drugsChemoresistanceNOTCH2 signalingPaclitaxelTranslational regulationTumor-macrophage interaction

Identifiers

PMID41519773
PMCPMC13191955

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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.