Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41925028›Full record

ArticleCancer biology & medicine2026

Metabolic engineering of SLC38A2 reprograms glutamine utilization and enhances CAR-macrophage antitumor function in solid tumors.

Mingzhu Liu, Qingxi Chen, Luoling Zhang, Yunxuan Zhou, Ning Wen, Jin Jin, Junchao Cai, Shicheng Su, Jiang Li, Qiyi Zhao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer biology & medicine, 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

10 authors.

Mingzhu LiuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Qingxi ChenDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Luoling ZhangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Yunxuan ZhouDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Ning WenDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Jin JinCenter for Neuroimmunology and Health Longevity, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Junchao CaiDepartment of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
Shicheng SuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Jiang LiGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Qiyi ZhaoDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.ORCID 0000-0003-0649-0437

Funding

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2023A1515011033Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2024B1515040006Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2025A1515012431Guangdong Major Project of Basic Research 2023B0303000018Guangdong Province Youth Top Talent Special Pillar Program 2024Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Breast Diseases 2023B110005Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan Project 2025B03J0063National Key R&D Program of China 2021YFA1103000National Key R&D Program of China 2021YFA1302000National Natural Science Foundation of China 82125017National Natural Science Foundation of China 82572106National Natural Science Foundation of China 92359302Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province 2314050001076New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the New Cornerstone Investigator Program XPLORER PRIZENoncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2025ZD0544000Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou 2024A04J6568
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study was aimed at investigating metabolic dysregulation in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in breast cancer and developing a metabolically enhanced chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) strategy to boost antitumor potency in solid tumors.

methodsIntegrated scRNA-seq and metabolomic analyses were performed to characterize metabolic alterations in macrophages within the breast cancer tumor microenvironment (TME). According to the identified metabolic vulnerabilities, SLC38A2-overexpressing anti-HER2 CAR-Ms were engineered. Glutamine uptake and phagocytic activity were assessed to evaluate functional enhancement.

resultsTAMs in breast cancer exhibited substantial metabolic dysregulation, particularly impaired glutamine metabolism accompanied by decreased expression of the glutamine transporter SLC38A2. Overexpression of SLC38A2 in anti-HER2 CAR-Ms, compared with conventional anti-HER2 CAR-Ms, enhanced glutamine uptake and markedly augmented phagocytosis of HER2

conclusionsMetabolic engineering

Indexed as

Amino Acid Transport System ABreast NeoplasmsGlutamineMacrophagesMetabolic EngineeringTumor-Associated MacrophagesAnimalsCell Line, TumorErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansMetabolic ReprogrammingMicePhagocytosisTumor MicroenvironmentAmino Acid Transport System AERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesGlutamineSLC38A2 protein, humanCAR-macrophageglutamine metabolismmetabolic engineeringSLC38A2

Identifiers

PMID41925028
PMCPMC13059898

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.