Evidence mapPaperPMID 42548727Full record

ArticleStem cells international2026

Integrative Multiomics Analysis Reveals a Cancer Stem Cell-Driven Prognostic Signature and Nominates Belinostat for Targeted Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Yang Zi, Ying Zhang, Jun Wu, Jingjing Xie, Xuehua Yan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Stem cells international, 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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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yang ZiDepartment of Intervention, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, nmgyy.cn.
Ying ZhangDepartment of Hepatology, Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Lanzhou Second People's Hospital, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China.
Jun WuDepartment of Radiology, Lanzhou Second People's Hospital, Lanzhou, City, Gansu Province, China.
Jingjing XieDepartment of Medical Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, uts.edu.au.
Xuehua YanDepartment of Hepatology, Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Lanzhou Second People's Hospital, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7169-6527

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suffers from a poor prognosis largely due to its profound molecular heterogeneity and high frequency of relapse, challenges that are closely linked to the biology of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and a lack of effective stemness-related prognostic biomarkers. Identifying CSC-related prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets is critical for improving patient outcomes. Methods: We integrated differential expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and CSC gene databases to identify core prognostic genes driven by stemness mechanisms. A robust prognostic model was developed and validated using multiple machine learning algorithms across TCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts. The clinical relevance of the signature was assessed via receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curves, survival analysis, and association with tumor stage. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and computational drug repositioning coupled with molecular docking were employed to explore mechanistic insights and therapeutic candidates. Results: Intersection analysis identified 12 core genes enriched in CSC-associated pathways. The optimal CoxBoost model demonstrated superior predictive performance for overall survival (OS) in internal, external, and meta-analyses. The signature's single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) score exhibited high diagnostic accuracy, correlated with advanced tumor stage, and enabled effective risk stratification. Single-cell analysis revealed DARS2 enrichment in M1 macrophages, suggesting a role for CSCs in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor belinostat was prioritized via Drug Signature Database (DSigDB) screening and validated by molecular docking as a candidate for targeting the CSC-related signature. Conclusion: This study establishes a novel CSC-associated gene signature for diagnosis and prognosis in HCC and nominates belinostat as a repurposing candidate for targeting stemness-related pathways, offering a promising strategy for personalized therapy.

Indexed as

belinostatcancer stem cellsdrug repositioninghepatocellular carcinomaprognostic signature

Identifiers

PMID42548727
PMCPMC13429804

What Socratic holds

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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.