Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41735002›Full record

ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2026

HOXD13-mediated immune crosstalk between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages drives colorectal cancer progression.

Xilang Chen, Jie Chen, Yue Yin, Mengyu Sun, Siwen Li, Jiaqian Zhang, Zhangfan Wu, Junqing Jiang, Dian Hu, Daiming Fan and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal for immunotherapy of 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. 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

14 authors.

Xilang ChenState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Jie ChenState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yue YinState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Mengyu SunDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Siwen LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Jiaqian ZhangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhangfan WuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Junqing JiangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Dian HuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Daiming FanState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yongzhan NieState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China xialimin@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn kaicwu@fmmu.edu.cn huangwenjie@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn yongznie@fmmu.edu.cn.
Wenjie HuangHubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases; Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, China xialimin@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn kaicwu@fmmu.edu.cn huangwenjie@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn yongznie@fmmu.edu.cn.
Kaichun WuState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China xialimin@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn kaicwu@fmmu.edu.cn huangwenjie@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn yongznie@fmmu.edu.cn.
Limin XiaState Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China xialimin@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn kaicwu@fmmu.edu.cn huangwenjie@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn yongznie@fmmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6327-6034

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal cancer (CRC), composed of diverse cellular components and dynamic interactions, constitutes a major barrier to effective immunotherapy and facilitates disease progression. There is a pressing need to elucidate CRC-intrinsic factors that induce the immunosuppressive TME. Here, we explored the role of homeobox D13 (HOXD13) in shaping the immune microenvironment of CRC and its contribution to immunosuppression.

methodsThe expression level of HOXD13 was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. The role of HOXD13 in CRC was investigated using orthotopic allograft models and azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-induced spontaneous tumor models in intestine-specific HOXD13 knockout and knock-in mice. The immune landscape of the CRC microenvironment was characterized via flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.

resultsOur study revealed the upregulation mechanism of HOXD13 in CRC and its functional role in fostering an immunosuppressive TME. HOXD13 was upregulated in CRC, particularly in metastatic cases, and patients exhibiting high HOXD13 expression showed poorer clinical outcomes. Mechanistically, HOXD13 promoted M2-type polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and suppressed CD8

conclusionsOur study identified HOXD13 as a pivotal regulator in the establishment of an immunosuppressive TME and suggested that targeting the HOXD13 signaling axis represents a promising strategy to sensitize CRC to immunotherapy.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsHomeodomain ProteinsTranscription FactorsTumor-Associated MacrophagesAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMiceSignal TransductionTumor MicroenvironmentHomeodomain ProteinsTranscription FactorsColorectal CancerImmunotherapyMacrophageTumor microenvironment - TME

Identifiers

PMID41735002
PMCPMC12933763

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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.