Delineating spatial cell-cell interactions in the solid tumour microenvironment through the lens of highly...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises diverse cells that communicate extensively, influencing tumor growth and metastasis.
• Interactions within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) significantly reprogram cells, promoting pro-tumourigenic phenotypes.
• Targeting specific TIME interactions, like PD-1/PD-L1, has yielded therapeutic advances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review tumor-promoting non-cell autonomous interactions within the TME.
• To survey current digital pathology and bioimage analysis technologies for TME assessment.
• To discuss the advantages and limitations of these technologies in studying cell-cell interactions.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on TME interactions and their impact on tumor behavior.
• Survey of digital pathology technologies and bioimage analysis programs.
• Analysis of spatial data and multiplexed cell marker interrogation.

Main Results:

• Common TME analyses often lack spatial data or interrogate limited markers, hindering comprehensive cell phenotyping.
• Advanced digital pathology and bioimage analysis enable high-resolution, multiplexed analysis of the TME in clinical samples.
• Spatial organization of the TME is highly variable between patients.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution spatial imaging and analysis technologies offer powerful tools to study TME non-cell autonomous interactions.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for characterizing tumor behavior.
• Leveraging these technologies can inform personalized cancer treatment strategies.