Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40837778›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of gastrointestinal oncology2025

Interleukin-22 promotes cancer stemness and chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer

Hong-Xun Ruan, Yan-Le Fang, Xiao-Ning Qin, Lin Lin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in World journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

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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

4 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

4 authors.

Hong-Xun RuanThe Third Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050004, Hebei Province, China.
Yan-Le FangThe Third Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050004, Hebei Province, China.
Xiao-Ning QinThe Third Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050004, Hebei Province, China.
Lin LinThe Third Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050004, Hebei Province, China. linlin779242000@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInterleukin-22 (IL-22) belongs to the IL-10 cytokine family, recognized for its ability to modulate diverse immune responses. Previous studies have indicated that IL-22 promotes cancer advancement and metastasis. However, the precise function of IL-22 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear.

aimTo investigate the role of IL-22 in promoting stem cell-like characteristics and chemotherapy resistance in CRC cells, as well as to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects.

methodsHCT116 cells were treated with IL-22 (50 ng/mL) and oxaliplatin (L-OHP, 5 μg/mL). A series of functional assays - including cell counting kit-8 assay, tumor sphere formation assay, and cell apoptosis assay - were conducted to assess the effects of IL-22 on cell viability and stem cell-like characteristics. The expression of stemness-related markers (SOX2, Oct4, NANOG, and Bmi-1) was examined using Western blot analysis. Additionally, the total and phosphorylated levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), protein kinase B (AKT), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were evaluated by Western blot. An EGFR inhibitor, osimertinib (Osi), was used to assess the pathway's functional relevance.

resultsIL-22 treatment promotes CRC cell proliferation, enhances sphere formation, and elevates the expression of stem cell markers, including SOX2, Oct4, NANOG, and Bmi-1. IL-22 treatment increases the phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT, and ERK. Additionally, IL-22 treatment mitigates the cytotoxic effects and the ability to induce apoptosis of L-OHP. Furthermore, IL-22 treatment activated the EGFR/ERK signaling pathway by increasing the phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT, and ERK. Importantly, the use of the EGFR inhibitor Osi significantly counteracted the chemoresistance induced by IL-22 in CRC cells.

conclusionIL-22 promotes tumor growth and induces chemotherapy resistance in CRC cells by activating the EGFR/ERK signaling pathway. These findings suggest that targeting IL-22 or its downstream signaling may offer novel therapeutic strategies in CRC.

Indexed as

Colorectal cancerEpidermal growth factor receptorExtracellular signal-regulated kinaseInterleukin-22Oxaliplatin

Identifiers

PMID40837778
PMCPMC12362581

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.