This synchronous upregulation of PD-L1 and C1Qhigh TAM-interacting proteins was also observed in ascites-treated GC cell lines HGC27, MKN45, and SNU1 (Fig. 5a–c), confirming that PD-L1 upregulation on aDTCs occurs in the proliferative phase of ascitic metastasis, coincident with the C1Qhigh TAMs-driven overproliferation of aDTCs. Here, CD274 is linked to gastric cancer.