ArticleMolecular biology reports2026
WNK4 restrains endometrial cancer progression by reprogramming macrophage polarization toward an M1-like phenotype.
Article in Molecular biology reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundEndometrial cancer lacks robust immune-linked biomarkers that can be translated into tractable therapeutic strategies. WNK4, a member of the with-no-lysine (WNK) kinase family, is involved in cancer-relevant signaling pathways; however, its immunological significance in endometrial cancer has yet to be defined.
methodsImmune deconvolution and gene-immune correlation analyses were performed to relate WNK4 to immune-cell-associated signatures. WNK4 expression was assessed in clinical endometrial cancer tissues and cell lines by immunoblotting. Macrophage polarization was modeled using phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 macrophages with interleukin-4 (IL-4) induction, followed by WNK4 overexpression. Polarization status was evaluated by marker expression and flow cytometry. Conditioned macrophage states were tested in Transwell co-culture with Ishikawa and HEC-1-A cells to assess viability, clonogenicity, migration/invasion, and apoptosis. To confirm the impact on tumor growth and macrophage-marker expression within tumors, we established a nude-mouse xenograft model.
resultsWNK4 was reduced in endometrial cancer tissues and malignant endometrial cell lines. Correlation analyses linked WNK4 to immune-state features, including an inverse association with M2-like macrophage signatures. In THP-1-derived macrophages, WNK4 overexpression counteracted IL-4-driven M2-like polarization and shifted cells toward an M1-like profile. In co-culture, WNK4-modified macrophages suppressed proliferative and motile phenotypes of endometrial cancer cells and increased apoptotic signaling. In vivo, WNK4 overexpression inhibited xenograft growth and was accompanied by macrophage-marker changes consistent with reduced M2-like features.
conclusionsWNK4 acts as an immune-relevant suppressor in endometrial cancer, partly by limiting M2-like polarization and weakening macrophage-driven tumor support.
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