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Identification and Characterization of Prognostic Macrophage Subpopulations for Human Esophageal Carcinoma
Penghui Li1, Xiaohui Gao1, Di Huang2
1Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, 471000, China.
Current Medicinal Chemistry
|February 16, 2024
Summary
Researchers identified a specific macrophage subtype, HSPA6+ macrophages, that significantly increases in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and correlates with poor patient survival. This finding offers a new target for ESCA immunotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Genomics
Background:
- Macrophage-based immunotherapy holds promise for esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) treatment.
- Intra-tumor heterogeneity of macrophages currently limits clinical applications of ESCA immunotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the cellular ecosystem and esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) progression via macrophage evolution.
- To analyze macrophage diversity, differentiation, intercellular communication, and prognostic significance in ESCA.
- To explore the potential of macrophages as a therapeutic target in ESCA.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the GSE154763 dataset were analyzed using the Seurat R package.
- Macrophage subsets were identified through cluster analysis, and differentiation trajectories were visualized with Monocle2.
- Intercellular communication pathways were assessed using Cell Chat to analyze ligand-receptor interactions.
Main Results:
- Eight cell types were identified in ESCA and paracancer tissues; ESCA tissues showed 5 macrophage subsets.
- HSPA6+ macrophages were significantly increased in ESCA tissues compared to normal tissues.
- Increased HSPA6+ macrophages correlated inversely with survival outcomes in ESCA patients and showed enhanced communication with mast cells and monocytes.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell analysis revealed macrophage diversity and differentiation in ESCA tissues.
- HSPA6+ macrophages were identified as a prognostic subtype in ESCA.
- This classification provides a theoretical foundation for developing macrophage-targeted therapies for ESCA.
