Evidence mapPaperPMID 40779144Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2025

Integrating single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics reveals the therapeutic effect of nitazoxanide in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Xiaohua Jiang, Liqi Chen, Zixia Xu, Hangzhe Sun, Jing Ye, Ziyi Guo, Mang Xiao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

7 authors.

Xiaohua Jiang *Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310016, China.
Liqi Chen *The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
Zixia Xu *The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
Hangzhe SunThe Second School of Clinical Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
Jing YeDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310016, China.
Ziyi GuoDepartments of Endocrinology, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201100, China. guoziyi1015@163.com.
Mang XiaoDepartment of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, 310016, China. Jxhua200812@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHead and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is a prevalent and deadly cancer with limited treatment options, for which autophagy has a dual impact. Nitazoxanide is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug showing promise in treating cancer, but its role in regulating autophagy in HNSCC remains unexplored. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe molecular mechanisms were explored through Differential expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, risk prognostic model, nomogram model, GSEA, GSVA, WGCNA, mutation analysis, scRNA analysis, spatial transcriptomic analysis, and L1000FWD analysis. And the impact of Nitazoxanide was experimentally verified.

resultsWe identified 32 differentially expressed ARGs and 4 hub genes. They are involved in autophagy, apoptosis, and human cytomegalovirus infection. And hub genes were identified as independent prognostic factors for HNSCC. GSEA, GSVA and WGCNA uncovered the role of the dysregulation of IFN-α response pathway in HNSCC. scRNA and spatial transcriptomic analyses revealed the expression models of each hub gene. Furthermore, potential drugs were explored using L1000FWD analysis. Additionally, Nitazoxanide's function was verified in vitro.

conclusionOur findings established that Nitazoxanide has the potential to play a role in the treatment of HNSCC. We suggested that Nitazoxanide acts on NKX2-3, PINK1, BIRC5 and CDKN2A to inhibit the development of HNSCC through regulating autophagy, and it is a promising candidate drug for HNSCC.

Indexed as

AutophagyBioinformaticsHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaNetwork pharmacologyNitazoxanide

Identifiers

PMID40779144
PMCPMC12334390

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.