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Published on: August 1, 2025
Unravelling the landscape of skin cancer through single-cell transcriptomics
Ankit Srivastava1, Tomas Bencomo2, Ishani Das3
1Stanford Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 United States of America; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
Abstract:
The human skin is a complex organ that forms the first line of defense against pathogens and external injury. It is composed of a wide variety of cells that work together to maintain homeostasis and prevent disease, such as skin cancer. The exponentially rising incidence of skin malignancies poses a growing public health challenge, particularly when the disease course is complicated by metastasis and therapeutic resistance. Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics have provided a high-resolution view of gene expression heterogeneity that can be applied to skin cancers to define cell types and states, understand disease evolution, and develop new therapeutic concepts. This approach has been particularly valuable in characterizing the contribution of immune cells in skin cancer, an area of great clinical importance given the increasing use of immunotherapy in this setting. In this review, we highlight recent skin cancer studies utilizing bulk RNA sequencing, introduce various single-cell transcriptomics approaches, and summarize key findings obtained by applying single-cell transcriptomics to skin cancer.
Insights
Single-cell transcriptomics offers a detailed view of skin cancer, revealing cell types and states to improve understanding and treatment strategies. This technology is crucial for analyzing immune cell contributions, especially with the rise of immunotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Genomics
Background:
- The human skin is a vital organ defending against pathogens and injury.
- Rising skin cancer incidence, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance present significant public health challenges.
- Single-cell transcriptomics provides high-resolution gene expression data for understanding complex diseases like skin cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in applying single-cell transcriptomics to skin cancer research.
- To highlight the utility of single-cell transcriptomics in defining skin cancer cell types and states.
- To summarize key findings regarding immune cell contributions in skin cancer.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent skin cancer studies using bulk RNA sequencing.
- Introduction to various single-cell transcriptomics methodologies.
- Analysis of findings from single-cell transcriptomics applications in skin cancer.
Main Results:
- Single-cell transcriptomics enables detailed characterization of cellular heterogeneity in skin cancers.
- This approach is valuable for understanding disease evolution and identifying new therapeutic targets.
- Key findings illuminate the role of immune cells, crucial for immunotherapy development.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell transcriptomics is a powerful tool for advancing skin cancer research.
- Understanding cellular heterogeneity and immune microenvironments is critical for improving treatment outcomes.
- This technology holds promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies, particularly in the context of immunotherapy.
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