Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40422249›Full record

ArticleCells2025

All-Trans Retinoic Acid Induces Differentiation and Downregulates Stemness Markers and MGMT Expression in Glioblastoma Stem Cells.

Justin Tang, Raymond Yang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cells, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 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

2 authors.

Justin TangDepartment of Biomedical Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Raymond YangDepartment of Surveillance & Evaluation, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlioblastoma (GBM) remains almost uniformly fatal, owing in part to therapy-resistant cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and to temozolomide (TMZ) resistance driven by O

methodsTwo established human GBM cell lines, U87-MG and A172, were cultured under neurosphere-promoting conditions to enrich for potential stem-like subpopulations. Cells were treated with either 1 µM ATRA or vehicle control (DMSO) for 5 days. Total RNA was extracted, and cDNA was synthesized. Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) assessed relative mRNA expression levels of key stemness transcription factors (SOX2, NES) and the DNA repair gene MGMT and corresponding protein levels were measured by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Gene expression was normalized to the geometric mean of two validated housekeeping genes (GAPDH, ACTB). Relative quantification was calculated using the ΔΔCt method, and statistical significance was determined using Student's

resultsATRA markedly suppressed stemness and MGMT in both lines. In U87-MG, SOX2 mRNA fell 3.7-fold (

conclusionsFive-day exposure to ATRA diminishes SOX2, Nestin, and MGMT at both mRNA and protein levels in stem-enriched GBM cultures, supporting the premise that ATRA-induced differentiation can concurrently blunt CSC traits and TMZ-resistance mechanisms. These data provide a molecular rationale for testing ATRA in combination regimens aimed at improving GBM therapy.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBrain NeoplasmsCell DifferentiationDNA Modification MethylasesDNA Repair EnzymesDown-RegulationGlioblastomaNeoplastic Stem CellsTretinoinTumor Suppressor ProteinsCell Line, TumorGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansTemozolomideBiomarkers, TumorDNA Modification MethylasesDNA Repair EnzymesMGMT protein, humanTemozolomideTretinoinTumor Suppressor ProteinsA172all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)cancer stem cellsdifferentiationestablished cell linesgene expressionglioblastomaMGMTnestinquantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)SOX2stemnesstemozolomide resistanceU87-MG

Identifiers

PMID40422249
PMCPMC12109622

What Socratic holds

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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 Socratic graph.