Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42420312›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Spatial transcriptomic profiling of ovarian clear cell carcinoma reveals heterogeneity in OXPHOS and EMT gradients.

Thang Truong Le, Duncan Yi-Te Wang, Sebastian Rui-Gu Yan, Yi-Cian Chen, Ko-Chen Chen, Tuan Zea Tan, Pei-Yu Chu, Denis Ting-Hsian Chen, Yi-Chia Chiu, Jia-Yuh Sheu and 10 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 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

20 authors.

Thang Truong Le *Smart Medicine and Health Informatics Program, International College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-5832-8082
Duncan Yi-Te Wang *School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Sebastian Rui-Gu YanSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-0061-6309
Yi-Cian ChenGraduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Ko-Chen ChenSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Tuan Zea TanCancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Center for Translational Medicine, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6624-1593
Pei-Yu ChuGraduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Denis Ting-Hsian ChenSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, Keele University, Newcastle, UK.
Yi-Chia ChiuSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Jia-Yuh SheuDepartment of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2066-2178
Sydney Rechie NecesarioDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen-Hao HuangGraduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Jieru YeSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5776-9385
Ya-Ting TaiSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Hsueh-Fen JuanGraduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4876-3309
Feng-Chiao TsaiGraduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Wei-Chou LinDepartment of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Ying-Cheng ChiangDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. ycchiang@ntuh.gov.tw.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8958-5222
Lin-Hung WeiDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Ruby Yun-Ju HuangSmart Medicine and Health Informatics Program, International College, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. rubyhuang@ntu.edu.tw.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6376-3185

Funding

National Taiwan University (NTU) NTU CM and NTUH- 110C101-033, 111C101-23, and 114C101-14
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intratumoral heterogeneity is intrinsically comprised of molecular alterations of tumor cells and extrinsically from interconnections with microenvironments. This study explores the spatial heterogeneity of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC), a rare cancer with significance to East Asian women. We profile 21 primary-metastatic tumor pairs in a discovery cohort and 16 tumors in two validation cohorts using spatial transcriptomic (ST) platforms. Our integrative analysis revealed an inverse relationship between OXPHOS and inflammation along the EMT gradient. OCCC cells undergoing partial EMT have metabolic shifts and lose LCN2 expression, possibly via concomitant down-regulation of SOX9. Conversely, LCN2 expression correlated with OXPHOS-enriched tumor signature, low EMT, and better outcomes in OCCC. Single-cell ST profiling using CosMx further identifies nine spatially distinct cancer cell populations including the LCN2-high cancer subclone with a high epithelial score. SOX9 induction could partially restore epithelial-ness in LCN2-low cells suggesting that plasticity in OCCC is achieved via transcriptional reprogramming. Our findings provide further insights into epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and the adaptive interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironments in OCCC.

Indexed as

Adenocarcinoma, Clear CellEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionOvarian NeoplasmsOxidative PhosphorylationCell Line, TumorFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansLipocalin-2Metabolic ReprogrammingSOX9 Transcription FactorSpatial TranscriptomicsTranscriptomeTumor MicroenvironmentLCN2 protein, humanLipocalin-2SOX9 protein, humanSOX9 Transcription Factor

Identifiers

PMID42420312
PMCPMC13483867

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.