Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42030266›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Distinct tumor genomic signatures underlie canine macrophage polarization.

Rachel V Brady, Sunetra Das, Dawn L Duval, Kristen B Farrell, Eric P Palmer, Douglas H Thamm

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 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

6 authors.

Rachel V BradyCell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5688-3872
Sunetra DasDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Flint Animal Cancer Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8941-1468
Dawn L DuvalCell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5310-0078
Kristen B FarrellDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Flint Animal Cancer Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.
Eric P PalmerDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.
Douglas H ThammCell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) drive cancer progression and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which tumor cells shape TAM phenotypes in canine cancers remain poorly understood. We investigated correlations between cancer cell gene expression and macrophage polarization to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Tumor-conditioned media from 25 canine cancer cell lines were applied to monocyte-derived macrophages from three canine donors for 24 hours. Following washout, supernatants were analyzed for immunomodulatory cytokines and chemokines. Each cell line's polarization capacity was ranked using modified z-scores, then correlated with RNA-sequencing data through Spearman's correlation and differential expression analysis. Cancer cell lines showed marked heterogeneity in macrophage polarization capacity, largely independent of histologic type. MVB12A, a gene involved in exosome biogenesis, strongly correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation, suggesting exosome-mediated polarization mechanisms. Exosome fractionation experiments confirmed that purified exosomes induced significantly more macrophage VEGF secretion than other conditions, and high-MVB12A cell lines showed greater VEGF enrichment in exosomes. C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) was strongly correlated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) secretion exclusively in histiocytic sarcoma cells, and recombinant CCL3 induced dose-dependent TNF-α secretion from macrophages. High-polarizing cell lines exhibited upregulation of macrophage activation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metabolic reprogramming genes, and downregulation of immune surveillance and cell adhesion genes. Gene set enrichment analysis confirmed pathways for immune suppression, EMT, and extracellular matrix remodeling. These findings identify exosome-associated VEGF stimulation as a previously uncharacterized mechanism in canine tumors and highlight CCL3 as a potential histiocytic sarcoma-specific driver of macrophage TNF-α secretion. Further validation in canine clinical cohorts will determine whether these pathways can serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in veterinary oncology.

Indexed as

MacrophagesNeoplasmsTumor-Associated MacrophagesAnimalsCell Line, TumorDogsExosomesGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticMacrophage ActivationTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaVascular Endothelial Growth Factor ATumor Necrosis Factor-alphaVascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Identifiers

PMID42030266
PMCPMC13108725

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.