Evidence mapPaperPMID 42350744Full record

ArticleJournal of molecular histology2026

Leukemia inhibitory factor drives malignant progression in lung squamous cell carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis.

Sainv Si, Mengxue Zhou, Liping Chen, Jianjun Ge, Shan Wei, Wanjun Yu, Huaying Wang

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

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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

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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

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

7 authors.

Sainv SiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Mengxue ZhouDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Liping ChenDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Jianjun GeDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Shan WeiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Wanjun YuDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Huaying WangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, 251 East Baizhang Road, Ningbo, 315040, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. yingmeire@163.com.

Funding

Technology Program of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Zhejiang Province 2025ZX163The Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo 2022J031Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation ZCLQN25H1610
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is an established oncogenic driver in multiple cancers. However, its functional contribution and mechanistic underpinnings in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain incompletely defined. To delineate the role of LIF in LSCC progression, and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. LIF protein expression in clinical LSCC tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting. LIF gain-of-function (using recombinant LIF protein) and loss-of-function (via LIF knockdown) assays were performed in vitro to assess its impact on the malignant phenotypes of LSCC cells. The changes in signaling pathways were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The functional role of LIF was further validated in patient-derived organoid models and a nude mouse xenograft model. LIF protein was significantly upregulated in LSCC tissues, and its high expression was correlated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. Recombinant LIF (rLIF) significantly enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCC cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, and the dosage of 200 ng/mL exerted the most pronounced effects. Conversely, LIF knockdown suppressed these malignant phenotypes. LIF activated the PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Ser 9, which consequently stabilized β-catenin and facilitated its nuclear accumulation. Furthermore, rLIF also promoted the growth of patient-derived organoids, and upregulated the expression of Ki-67 and α-SMA. In contrast, LIF knockdown significantly attenuated the growth of LSCC xenografts in vivo, and this effect was partially reversed by exogeneous rLIF. The oncogenic effects of LIF were associated with increased expression levels of p-AKT, p-GSK-3β, and β-catenin. LIF mediates LSCC progression by activating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. Therefore, LIF and its effectors warrant further study as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in LSCC.

Indexed as

beta CateninCarcinoma, Squamous CellGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaLeukemia Inhibitory FactorLung NeoplasmsPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktSignal TransductionAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMalebeta CateninGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaLeukemia Inhibitory FactorLIF protein, humanPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktGSK-3βLeukemia inhibitory factorLung squamous cell carcinomaPI3K/AKT signalingβ-catenin

Identifiers

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.