Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42898294›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Integrative multi-omics analysis reveals a membrane tension signature associated with tumor-stroma crosstalk in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pengfei Zhu, Pengcheng Zhu, Zijuan Zhu, Gaozhong Bian, Yungang Liu, Qifan Yang, Peipei Luo

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Article in Frontiers in immunology, 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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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Pengfei Zhu *Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Pengcheng Zhu *Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, China.
Zijuan ZhuThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China.
Gaozhong BianThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China.
Yungang LiuDepartment of Oncology, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
Qifan YangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.
Peipei LuoDepartment of Gastroenterology, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China.

Funding

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine Open Project NO. JSKLM-Y-2025-02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Dysregulated membrane tension (MT) drives tumor cell migration, invasion, and immune evasion, yet the prognostic value of MT-related genes (MTRGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Methods: We integrated transcriptomic and clinical data from TCGA, ICGC, and GEO. A three-gene MTRG prognostic signature was developed through univariate and LASSO-Cox regression, and validated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, time-dependent ROC curves, and calibration plots. Functional enrichment, immune infiltration, tumor mutational burden, and immunotherapy response was predicted using the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithm. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics were used to investigate the mechanistic role of CFL1 in tumor-stroma crosstalk. Results: The signature (CFL1, CRTC2, SRGAP2) stratified HCC patients into high- and low-risk groups with distinct overall survival (OS). High-risk tumors showed coordinated activation of MT and ECM-remodeling pathways alongside an immunosuppressive microenvironment. In silico analyses suggested that CFL1-high tumor cells may transmit MDK signals to fibroblasts (via SDC2, NCL, and ITGA4-ITGB1) and to T cells (via NCL). Spatial transcriptomics confirmed predominant CFL1 enrichment in stromal compartments. The signature was an independent prognostic factor, and the nomogram showed promising clinical utility. Conclusions: This three-gene MTRG-associated signature is associated with predicted immunotherapy response based on computational analysis in HCC. Our results suggest a potential link between biophysical MT and tumor stroma co evolution and represent a potential therapeutic direction warranting further experimental validation.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularLiver NeoplasmsTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkers, TumorCofilin 1Gene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMultiomicsPrognosisSpatial TranscriptomicsStromal CellsTranscriptomeBiomarkers, TumorCFL1 protein, humanCofilin 1CFL1hepatocellular carcinomaMDK signalingmembrane tensionprognostic signaturetumor-stroma crosstalk

Identifiers

PMID42898294
PMCPMC13677693

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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.