Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42511524›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

Immune Cytolytic Activity Correlates with Tumor Microenvironmental Aberrations in Colorectal Cancer.

Stephanie Agioti, George Georgoulias, Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares, Maria-Ioanna Christodoulou, Apostolos Zaravinos

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 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

5 authors.

Stephanie AgiotiCancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus.ORCID 0009-0008-4267-6849
George GeorgouliasCancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus.
Ilias Georgakopoulos-SoaresDivision of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Dell Paediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3641-1488
Maria-Ioanna ChristodoulouTumor Immunology and Biomarkers Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus.ORCID 0000-0003-1659-4993
Apostolos ZaravinosCancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus.ORCID 0000-0003-4625-5562

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits a highly heterogeneous tumor immune microenvironment (TME), ranging from "immune-inflamed" to "immune-desert" or "immune-excluded" phenotypes. Understanding how immune cell composition, cytolytic activity (CYT) and genomic alternations shape tumor-immune interactions is critical for improving immunotherapy outcomes. We analyzed TCGA-COAD and TCGA-READ datasets to evaluate immune competency, CYT, immune subtypes, microsatellite instability (MSI), and genomic instability, including somatic mutations, copy number aberrations (CNAs), and chromothriptic events. Immune cell infiltration was correlated with CYT levels, immune checkpoint expression, and immune-related gene signatures. Immune-competent (IC) tumors were predominantly CYT-high, enriched in stromal and immune scores, and exhibited distinct TME characteristics compared with immune-deficient (ID) tumors. IC/CYT-high tumors expressed higher levels of immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, IDO1/2, LAG-3) and cytokines/chemokines (C1QA/B/C, CXCL9/10/11, CXCL13). Differences in immune infiltration were observed across tumors with significant mutations and copy number alterations. No prognostic difference was observed between CYT-high and CYT-low patients, indicating that CYT reflects immune activation rather than clinical outcome. Functionally, stimulated CD8

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsCytotoxicity, ImmunologicTumor MicroenvironmentDNA Copy Number VariationsGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMicrosatellite InstabilityMutation3D tumor modelsapoptosiscancer neoepitopesCD8+ T cellschromothripsiscolorectal cancergene expression profilinggene mutationsGZMAHCT-116HT-29 colorectal cancer cell linesimmune cell infiltrationimmune checkpointsimmune cytolytic activityimmune signaturesLDH release assayPRF1somatic copy number alterationstumor immune microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID42511524
PMCPMC13409973

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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.