Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41943505›Full record

ArticleCPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology2026

Integrative QSP Modeling of Cancer Stem Cells in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Impacts on Tumor Immunity and Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Junsheng Xue, Weizhe Jian, Tianyu Wang, Zhujun Jiang, Xinyu Hou, Qirui Yang, Tianyu Bao, Lei Cai, Enze Gan, Chen Liu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Junsheng XueDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Weizhe JianDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Tianyu WangDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Zhujun JiangState Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Xinyu HouDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Qirui YangDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Tianyu BaoDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Lei CaiDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Enze GanDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Chen LiuDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Tianyan ZhouDepartment of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2583-8080

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82073919National Natural Science Foundation of China 82473997Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF GZC20230172
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to an immunosuppressive microenvironment through complex mechanisms and tumor-immune interactions. However, the key determinants of CSC characteristics in driving tumor progression, immune suppression, and response to ICIs remain unclear and require systematic investigation. This study developed a quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model covering various CSC properties, thereby capturing the temporal dynamics and CSC-immune interactions in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Using the unified longitudinal dataset of tumor growth, CSC frequency, and immune cell dynamics that we obtained from BALB/c mice bearing wild-type or Cd274-knockout 4T1 cells under various inoculation conditions, which provides multi-dimensional insights into CSC-related biology, the QSP model was calibrated and validated. Simulations and sensitivity analysis indicated that TNBC tumors with strong stemness exhibited significantly accelerated tumor growth and reduced infiltration of cytotoxic immune cells such as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells. These were associated with CSCs' enhanced self-renewal capacity, stemness maintenance, secretion of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and PD-1/PD-L1-mediated immunosuppression. ICIs showed minimal efficacy in tumors with enhanced stemness, which was also linked to the aforementioned characteristics. Both the administration sequence and initiation timing of ICIs differentially influenced the therapeutic outcomes. These findings elucidate the roles of CSCs in TNBC progression, tumor immunity, and ICI efficacy while identifying the key underlying CSC characteristics, suggesting the potential value of assessing CSC biomarkers or abundance before ICI treatment and support the development of ICIs and anti-CSC combination therapies.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsNeoplastic Stem CellsTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsAnimalsB7-H1 AntigenCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMiceMice, Inbred BALB CMice, KnockoutTumor MicroenvironmentB7-H1 AntigenImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorscancer stem cellimmune checkpoint inhibitorquantitative systems pharmacologytriple‐negative breast cancertumor immunology

Identifiers

PMID41943505
PMCPMC13274746

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.