Study record
Integrative transcriptomic and computational analysis associates Ms4a6c+ macrophages with fibrosis in radiation proctitis and computationally nominates MOTS-c as a candidate modulator
Wang P, Tao W, Wen H et al. · Front Immunol · 2026
What this study reported
Reported that an Ms4a6c-expressing macrophage subpopulation was associated with pro-fibrotic programmes in a murine radiation proctitis model and in human liver cirrhosis and pulmonary fibrosis datasets. Reported that molecular docking and dynamics simulations ranked MOTS-c as a top candidate predicted to bind Ms4a6c, with no experimental testing of MOTS-c.
Limitations
MOTS-c involvement is entirely computational, with no binding assay or in vivo testing; the authors state experimental validation is pending; single murine model underlies the primary transcriptomics.
Study record
| Study model | Analytical / methods |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | MOTS-c administeredSynthetic MOTS-c was given to cells, animals or people. |
| Species | mouse, human |
| System studied | Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics of a murine chronic radiation proctitis model with virtual screening and molecular dynamics |
| Population | Not reported |
| Design | Computational and transcriptomic analysis |
| Sample size as reported | not reported |
| Control group | non-irradiated model comparison and independent human single-cell datasets |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | Ms4a6c-expressing macrophage subpopulation; Thbs1-Cd47 and Cebpb regulon inference; cross-disease fibrosis signatures; virtual knockout simulation; molecular docking ranking |
| Pathways measured | Inflammation · TGF-β / SMAD |
| Research areas | Inflammation & immunity · Methods |
| Evidence tier | D — Cell, tissue or analytical |
| Publication types | Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Indirect
- Model applicability
- n/a
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Limited
- Outcome validity
- Exploratory
- Support for its own conclusion
- Weak
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.