{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Ovarian cancer ascites creates an immunosuppressive microenvironment that compromises NK cell function, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood.\n\nMethods: We used ascites-conditioned NK cells and assessed their mechanophenotypes, including F-actin, cortical tension, and traction force, along with CDC42 activity. Transcriptomic analysis and bidirectional pharmacological manipulation of CDC42 were performed.\n\nResults: Ascites-conditioned NK cells exhibited a paradoxical cytoskeletal state—elevated F-actin yet reduced cortical tension and traction force—indicating a failure to translate actin polymerization into productive mechanical output. Mechanistically, ascites triggered de novo expression of the CDC42 negative regulators, CDC42EP1 and CDC42EP5, leading to suppressed CDC42 activity. Bidirectional pharmacological manipulation of CDC42 reciprocally regulated traction force and cytotoxicity, establishing a causal link between CDC42-dependent mechanics and NK cell killing. The near-perfect correlation between traction force and killing capacity positions traction force as a robust mechanobiomarker of NK cell competence.\n\nDiscussion: These findings uncover a previously unrecognized role for CDC42 in governing NK cell mechanics and identify CDC42 as a therapeutically actionable node for restoring anti-tumor immunity in immunosuppressive microenvironments.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Key Laboratory for Cancer Prevention and Treatment of Guizhou Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, School of Biology and Engineering (School of Modern Industry for Health and Medicine), Guizhou Medical University",
    "Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University",
    "Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University",
    "Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University",
    "Guizhou Medical Sequencing Center, Precision Medicine Research Institute of Guizhou, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University",
    "Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Engineering Research Center of Cellular Immunotherapy of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Microbio and Infectious Disease Prevention & Control, Guizhou Medical University"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chenyi An"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yujun Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ziyu Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jiong Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xuan Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ting Guo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhihua Yan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lvyang Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Xing Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Rui Qin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Zhu Zeng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Shi Zuo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bseyf44qbdx7c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13719564/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "bseyf44qbdx7c",
  "issns": [
    "1664-3224"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|Immune Cell Function and Interaction"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222698091",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13719564",
  "pmid": "42964141",
  "published": "2026-10-16",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bseyf44qbdx7c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:36Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13719564",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719564"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:23:30Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13719564",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1883517"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|Immune Cell Function and Interaction",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Mechanical dysfunction: ovarian cancer ascites disables NK cells by suppressing CDC42-driven force generation",
  "title_text": "Mechanical dysfunction: ovarian cancer ascites disables NK cells by suppressing CDC42-driven force generation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:20:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bseyf44qbdx7c",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Immunology",
  "versions": []
}