Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41699002›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

RBP4 interferes with tongue squamous cell carcinoma progression by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and promoting macrophage M1-type polarization.

Ying Yan, Nan Miao, Xiaofeng Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Ying YanDepartment of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Nan MiaoDepartment of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Xiaofeng WangDepartment of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 13633617656@163.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 8167110215
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a common type of oral mucosal epithelial malignancy that can severely affect patient quality of life. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies for TSCC are needed. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of action of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) in TSCC progression and its effect on tumor-associated macrophages. To this end, TSCC cell lines with RBP4 overexpression and knockdown were constructed, and effects of RBP4 expression on the proliferation and invasive abilities of TSCC cells were verified using ex vivo experiments. Furthermore, a tumor cell-macrophage co-culture model was established to assess the effect of RBP4 on macrophage polarization. RBP4 overexpression reduced the phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and inhibited tumor cell proliferation by regulating Snail levels; RBP4 inhibited TSCC cells from undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In addition, RBP4 promoted the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway, leading to macrophage polarization toward M1 type and inhibiting TSCC growth. We found for the first time that RBP4 affects the proliferation and migration of TSCC cells by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and that RBP4 promotes the M1-type polarization of tumor-associated macrophages, which contributes to their antitumor effects.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Squamous CellMacrophagesPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktRetinol-Binding Proteins, PlasmaTongue NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationDisease ProgressionEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionHumansMiceNF-kappa BSignal TransductionNF-kappa BPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktRBP4 protein, humanRetinol-Binding Proteins, PlasmaMacrophage polarizationNF-κB signaling pathwayPI3K/Akt signaling pathwayRBP4Tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID41699002
PMCPMC13002917

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.