Evidence mapPaperPMID 41703585Full record

ArticleCancer cell international2026

G protein-coupled receptor 137B drives malignant progression and May serves as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Rongqi Guo, Yangyang Li, Zhongquan Yi, Weisong Zhang, Hao Wang, Yihao Wang, Xia Li, Jianxiang Song

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cell international, 2026. 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

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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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

8 authors.

Rongqi Guo *Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-9473-6883
Yangyang Li *Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
Zhongquan Yi *Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, China.
Weisong ZhangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
Hao WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
Yihao WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
Xia LiDepartment of General Medicine, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, No. 606 Xindu Road, Yandu, Yancheng, 224000, PR China. ycsy161317@163.com.
Jianxiang SongDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital 6 of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. jxsongycsy@163.com.

Funding

2021 Jiangsu Provincial Health and Health Commission Medical Research Guidance Project Z2021087Nantong University's 2023 Academic Level Research Project (Special Project of Yancheng Third Institute) YXY-Z2023008Special Research Fund for Clinical Medicine, Nantong University, 2023 2023JZ022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundG protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are widely involved in cell signal transduction, and their abnormal activation has been proved to be closely related to the occurrence and development of various cancers. However, the functions of a large number of members in the GPCR family have not been clarified. Among them, the orphan receptor GPR137B is particularly rare, and its role in tumors has been rarely studied systematically.

methodsThe expression of GPR137B in ESCC was confirmed using multi-database analysis and clinical tissue samples, and its prognostic value in ESCC was investigated. The role of GPR137B in ESCC was confirmed through in vivo and in vitro investigations. The probable mechanism of GPR137B in ESCC was investigated by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis and Western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis was employed to investigate the association of immune infiltration, while flow cytometry was utilised to validate the expression of PD-L1. Drug sensitivity analysis investigated the potential of GPR137B as a predictor of drug responsiveness.

resultsGPR137B had elevated levels in ESCC and was associated with unfavourable prognosis. GPR137B may enhance the proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis of ESCC cells. GPR137B was associated with the non-classical Wnt/PCP signalling pathway in enrichment analyses. The suppression of GPR137B facilitated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by reducing the expression of Wnt5A, FZD6, and p-JNK, proteins associated with the non-classical Wnt/PCP signalling pathway. The expression of GPR137B was correlated with immune infiltration in ESCC, and flow cytometry indicated a relationship with PD-L1. GPR137B may serve as a prognostic and therapeutic target for ESCC.

Indexed as

Bioinformatics analysisBiomarkerESCCGPR137BPrognosisProgression

Identifiers

PMID41703585
PMCPMC13020150

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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.