Evidence mapPaperPMID 41566302Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer2026

piR-1170 drives brain metastasis and immune evasion via WTAP-mediated m6A methylation reprogramming in triple-negative breast cancer.

Yongzhou Luo, Wenwen Tian, Xudong Zhu, Weidong Wei, Feng Ye, Min-Yi Situ, Yuanliang Yan, Xiaofang He, Xuefang Huang, Jun Tang and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer, 2026. 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

12 authors.

Yongzhou Luo *State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Wenwen Tian *Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Xudong Zhu *Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, China.
Weidong Wei *State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Feng YeState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Min-Yi SituState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Yuanliang YanDepartment of Pharmacy, The Hunan Institute of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
Xiaofang HeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
Xuefang HuangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Jun TangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China. tangjun@sysucc.org.cn.
Yanan KongState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China. kongyn@sysucc.org.cn.
Hailin TangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 East Dongfeng Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China. tanghl@sysucc.org.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82303557National Natural Science Foundation of China 82303738National Natural Science Foundation of China 82403554National Natural Science Foundation of China 82473036Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province 2023A1515030040
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) brain metastases remains a critical unmet clinical challenge. The roles of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in driving brain metastasis are poorly understood, despite their known dysregulation and oncogenic functions in cancer. Here, we identified piR-1170 as a clinically relevant driver of TNBC brain metastasis through multi-model validation. Analysis of the TNBC cohort from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center revealed significant piR-1170 upregulation in brain metastases correlating with poor patient survival. First, upstream analysis confirmed that hnRNPK binds to piR-1170 to maintain the piRNA's stability, thereby sustaining piR-1170 upregulation in TNBC. Then, Functional studies with metastasis models demonstrated the brain-specific metastatic activity of piR-1170, enhancing tumor cell adhesion to brain endothelia, vascular extravasation, and parenchymal invasion. Mechanistically, piR-1170 promotes WTAP expression to enhance m6A methylation of DGAT2 and CD274 transcripts, activating de novo lipid synthesis and PD-L1-driven immune suppression to promote tumor adaptation to lipid-scarce metastases and avoid immune surveillance. Our study defined the piR-1170-driven axis that operates through coordinated metabolic reprogramming and immunosuppression, thus revealing its potential as a therapeutic candidate for TNBC brain metastasis.

Indexed as

AdenosineBrain NeoplasmsCell Cycle ProteinsPiwi-Interacting RNARNA Splicing FactorsTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsTumor EscapeAnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceRNA MethylationAdenosineCell Cycle ProteinsN-methyladenosinePiwi-Interacting RNARNA Splicing FactorsWTAP protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41566302
PMCPMC12952001

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.