Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42594356›Full record

ArticleOncoimmunology2026

HLA-G functions as a tumor-intrinsic driver of growth and survival in renal cell carcinoma.

Ashwin Ajith, Aparna Geetha Jayaprasad, Useong Chang, Arsha Sreekumar, Mia Lin, Valia Bravo-Egana, Laura L Mulloy, Daniel David Horuzsko, Edgardo D Carosella, Anatolij Horuzsko

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncoimmunology, 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
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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ashwin AjithGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Aparna Geetha JayaprasadGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Useong ChangGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Arsha SreekumarGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Mia LinGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Valia Bravo-EganaHistocompatibility and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Laura L MulloyNephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Daniel David HoruzskoGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Edgardo D CarosellaInstitut Francois Jacob CEA, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France.
Anatolij HoruzskoGeorgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.

Funding

TREM-1 and Its Implications to CancerR01CA172230 · NCI · AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY · PI HORUZSKO, ANATOLIJ · 2014 to 2018
$1.6M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA172230
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

HLA-G is a non-classical MHC class I molecule with potent immunoregulatory functions that is aberrantly expressed in multiple malignancies, yet its tumor-intrinsic role remains poorly defined. To characterize this potential oncogenic role of HLA-G in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), we utilized integrated transcriptomic, in vitro, and in vivo approaches. Analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ccRCC cohort revealed that elevated HLA-G expression was associated with immunosuppressive programs and cell populations. Interrogation of a publicly available ccRCC single-cell RNA sequencing dataset revealed that HLA-G expression within tumor epithelial clusters is associated with hypoxia-driven, metabolic transcriptional programs. Multiplex immunofluorescence of human ccRCC specimens confirmed the presence of tumor cell-intrinsic HLA-G expression in advanced disease. Functional studies using RCC7 cells expressing the full-length canonical HLA-G isoform (RCC7/HLA-G1) demonstrated increased proliferation, migration, clonogenicity, cell-cycle progression, and resistance to apoptosis compared with HLA-G-negative RCC7wt cells. RCC7/HLA-G1 xenografts exhibited accelerated tumor growth accompanied by the activation of proliferative, stemness-related, and metabolic programs. Multi-omics analyses further revealed enhanced mitochondrial activity and redox metabolic adaptation in HLA-G-expressing tumors. Mechanistically, HLA-G expression was associated with increased VEGF-C expression and enhanced VEGFR3 signaling, suggesting the activation of a VEGF-C/VEGFR3-associated pro-survival pathway. In three-dimensional tumor spheroid immune cell co-culture models, HLA-G expression reduced CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity while promoting regulatory T-cell expansion and macrophage polarization toward an immunosuppressive M2-like phenotype. Collectively, these findings establish HLA-G as a key contributor to tumor progression and immune suppression in ccRCC and support HLA-G as a promising therapeutic target.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Renal CellHLA-G AntigensKidney NeoplasmsAnimalsApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell ProliferationGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceHLA-G AntigensHLA-Goncologyrenal cell carcinomatumor immunology

Identifiers

PMID42594356
PMCPMC13475321

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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.