Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41556358›Full record

Trial reportAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2026

PRDM1+ Malignant Cells Mediate an Immunosuppressive Landscape and Resistance to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy and Immunotherapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Dijian Shen, Rui Li, Yong She, Xuefei Liu, Yuanyang Huang, Yongling Ji, Keying Chen, Zhengbo Song, Runzhe Chen, Xuan Li and 3 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial, Phase II
In one paragraph

Trial report in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03940001 (A Study of Anti-PD-1 Antibody, Sintilimab Plus Chemoradiation Before Surgery for Esophageal Cancer), which is not on this 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.

NCT03940001 early_phase1unknown statusnot on this map

A Study of Anti-PD-1 Antibody, Sintilimab Plus Chemoradiation Before Surgery for Esophageal Cancer

TypeinterventionalSponsorZhejiang Cancer HospitalRan2019 to 2022Enrolled20ConditionsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaArmsSintilimab, carboplatin/paclitaxel, Radiation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. PRDM Proteins Orchestrate Colorectal Cancer Tumorigenesis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    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

13 authors.

Dijian ShenDepartment of Thoracic Oncology Surgery, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1491-5063
Rui LiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yong SheDepartment of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xuefei LiuDepartment of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1843-6107
Yuanyang HuangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yongling JiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Keying ChenDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, America.
Zhengbo SongDepartment of Phase I Clinical Trial, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Runzhe ChenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xuan LiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Qi ZhaoDepartment of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Qixun ChenDepartment of Thoracic Oncology Surgery, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Ming ChenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5041-9342

Funding

Key R&D Program of Zhejiang 2023594444National Key R&D Program of China 2023YFC2413900National Natural Science Foundation of China 82272744National Natural Science Foundation of China 82403177Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2023ZD0502100United Laboratory of Frontier Radiotherapy Technology of Sun Yat-sen University & Chinese Academy of Sciences Ion Medical Technology Co., Ltd, and Cancer Innovative Research Program of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center PT13030302
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The mechanisms underlying resistance to neoadjuvant immunotherapy and chemoradiotherapy (nICRT) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain poorly understood. Through a single-arm phase II trial (n = 22) with 44.4-month median follow-up, we observed a significant survival disparity: patients achieving major pathologic response (MPR) exhibited superior 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS), with no recurrence in MPR patients versus 71.4% recurrence in non-major pathological response (NMPR) patients (HR = 17.69, 95% CI 2.25-139.20, p = 0.0063). Integrating single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing and functional validation, we identified a PRDM1+ malignant cell subcluster enriched in NMPR patients and associated with treatment resistance. These cells exhibit strong lipid peroxidation characteristics, a state linked to the transcriptional activation of CTSB and MFSD12 mediated by PRDM1. This state renders the PRDM1+ malignant cell cluster more susceptible to ferroptosis induction. PRDM1+ cells further recruited immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) through IL1A-IL1R2 interactions and activated lipid-metabolizing TREM2+ macrophages via CD47-SIRPA signaling, fostering an immune-evasive microenvironment. Conversely, MPR patients displayed expanded cytotoxic T-effector clones with enhanced tumor-killing capacity. Our findings identify PRDM1 as a key factor associated with nICRT resistance and suggest that targeting ferroptosis pathways or disrupting PRDM1+ cell-mediated immune suppression may represent a viable strategy in ESCC. Clinical trial registration number: NCT03940001.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaImmunotherapyNeoadjuvant TherapyPositive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1Drug Resistance, NeoplasmFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPositive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1PRDM1 protein, humanEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)Immune suppressionLipid peroxidationneoadjuvant immunotherapy and chemoradiotherapy (nICRT)PRDM1Therapeutic resistance

Identifiers

PMID41556358
PMCPMC13042517

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Registered trials

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.