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metsDB: a knowledgebase of cancer metastasis at bulk, single-cell and spatial levels
Sijia Wu1, Jiajin Zhang1, Yanfei Wang2
1School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, PR China.
Abstract:
Cancer metastasis, the process by which tumour cells migrate and colonize distant organs from a primary site, is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this complex process is essential for developing effective metastasis prevention and therapy strategies. To this end, we systematically analysed 1786 bulk tissue samples from 13 cancer types, 988 463 single cells from 17 cancer types, and 40 252 spots from 45 spatial slides across 10 cancer types. The results of these analyses are compiled in the metsDB database, accessible at https://relab.xidian.edu.cn/metsDB/. This database provides insights into alterations in cell constitutions, cell relationships, biological pathways, molecular biomarkers, and drug responses during cancer metastasis at bulk, single-cell, and spatial levels. Users can perform cell or gene searches to obtain multi-view and multi-scale metastasis-related data. This comprehensive resource is invaluable for understanding the metastasis process and for designing molecular therapies.
Insights
Cancer metastasis, the spread of tumor cells, causes most cancer deaths. A new database, metsDB, analyzes bulk, single-cell, and spatial data to reveal metastasis mechanisms and guide therapy development.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Bioinformatics
- Genomics
Background:
- Cancer metastasis is a complex process responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths.
- Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of metastasis is crucial for developing effective therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze multi-level data to understand cancer metastasis.
- To create a comprehensive database (metsDB) for metastasis research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1786 bulk tissue samples from 13 cancer types.
- Analysis of 988,463 single cells from 17 cancer types.
- Analysis of 40,252 spatial spots from 10 cancer types.
Main Results:
- Compilation of data into the metsDB database (https://relab.xidian.edu.cn/metsDB/).
- Insights into altered cell constitutions, relationships, pathways, biomarkers, and drug responses.
- Enabling multi-view and multi-scale data exploration for metastasis research.
Conclusions:
- The metsDB database provides a valuable resource for understanding cancer metastasis.
- Facilitates the design of targeted molecular therapies for cancer metastasis.
