Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40271976›Full record

ArticleOncoimmunology2025

Glutamate promotes CCL2 expression to recruit tumor-associated macrophages by restraining EZH2-mediated histone methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Jing Chen, Hong-Wei Sun, Run-Zheng Wang, Yun-Fei Zhang, Wen-Jiao Li, Yong-Kui Wang, Hao Wang, Miao-Miao Jia, Qing-Xia Xu, Hao Zhuang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncoimmunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing 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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

11 authors.

Jing ChenDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Hong-Wei SunGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, China.
Run-Zheng WangThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Yun-Fei ZhangThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Wen-Jiao LiDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Yong-Kui WangThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Hao WangDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Miao-Miao JiaDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Qing-Xia XuDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Hao ZhuangDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.
Ning XueDepartment of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University&Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhenghou, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4748-851X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glutamate is well-known as metabolite for maintaining the energy and redox homeostasis in cancer, moreover it is also the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. However, whether glutamatergic signaling can regulate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and the specific regulatory mechanisms are unknown. In the present study, we found that glutamate and its receptor NMDAR2B were significantly elevated in HCC patients, which predicts poor prognosis. Glutamate could upregulate CCL2 expression on hepatoma cells and further enhance the capability of tumor cells to recruit tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Mechanistically, glutamate could facilitate CCL2 expression through NMDAR pathway by decreasing the expression of EZH2, which regulates the H3K27me3 levels on the CCL2 promoter, rather than affecting DNA methylation. Moreover, inhibiting glutamate pathway with MK801 could significantly delay tumor growth, with reduced TAMs in implanted Hepa1-6 mouse HCC models. Our work suggested that glutamate could induce CCL2 expression to promote TAM infiltration by negatively regulating EZH2 levels in hepatoma cells, which might serve as a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for HCC patients.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularChemokine CCL2Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinGlutamic AcidHistonesLiver NeoplasmsTumor-Associated MacrophagesAnimalsCell Line, TumorDNA MethylationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMethylationMiceCCL2 protein, humanChemokine CCL2Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 ProteinEZH2 protein, humanGlutamic AcidHistonesReceptors, N-Methyl-D-AspartateCCL2EZH2glutamateHepatocellular carcinomamacrophageneurotransmitter

Identifiers

PMID40271976
PMCPMC12026252

What Socratic holds

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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 Socratic graph.