Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42251193›Full record

ArticleCancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII2026

Immune-cold NSCLC tumors harbor tumor-associated macrophages with elevated expression of immunoglobulin genes.

Markus Haug, Henrik Sahlin Pettersen, Magne Børset, Arne Kildahl-Andersen, Sissel Gyrid Freim Wahl, Arnar Flatberg, Anders Tøndell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, 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

7 authors.

Markus HaugDepartment of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-7972
Henrik Sahlin PettersenDepartment of Pathology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3219-0577
Magne BørsetDepartment of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5179-2835
Arne Kildahl-AndersenDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Postboks 3250 Sluppen, No 7006, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3911-5222
Sissel Gyrid Freim WahlDepartment of Pathology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2665-434X
Arnar FlatbergDepartment of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1949-1631
Anders TøndellDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Postboks 3250 Sluppen, No 7006, Trondheim, Norway. anders.tondell@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0824-6705

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor cells mediate inhibitory signals to key immune cells, promoting an immunosuppressive environment that facilitates tumor immune evasion. CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes are central mediators of antitumor immunity, and tumors can be classified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) as immune-hot or immune-cold based on the abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Although cancer immunotherapy can boost lymphocyte functions and improve progression-free survival in patients with advanced NSCLC, only a minority of patients experience a durable clinical benefit. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key immunoregulatory cells in the NSCLC microenvironment and capable of generating potent immunosuppressive signals. However, their functional roles in immune-hot versus immune-cold tumors remain poorly understood. In this study, we compared the transcriptional programs of TAMs from NSCLC patients with immune-hot or immune-cold tumors. We classified 11 surgically resected NSCLC tumors as immune‑hot or immune‑cold based on quantitative immunohistochemistry of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ tumor‑infiltrating lymphocytes. TAMs were isolated from tumor and adjacent healthy tissue by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), followed by bulk RNA sequencing and differential gene expression analysis. TAMs from immune‑cold tumors exhibited a striking upregulation of genes involved in immunoglobulin-mediated immune responses. Additionally, these TAMs demonstrated increased expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix organization, including matrix metalloproteinases and collagen‑associated genes, suggesting enhanced matrix remodeling activity. These findings highlight TAMs' potential contribution to immunosuppression, stromal remodeling, and impaired lymphocyte infiltration. The TAM-mediated pathways identified here may represent actionable targets for future immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at reshaping the tumor microenvironment.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungImmunoglobulinsLung NeoplasmsTumor-Associated MacrophagesAgedCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingMaleMiddle AgedTumor MicroenvironmentImmunoglobulinsImmune responseNon-small cell lung cancerTumor-associated macrophagesTumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID42251193
PMCPMC13490338

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.