Comparative Oncology: Cross-Sectional Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of the Tumor Microenvironment Across Seven...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Tumor ecosystems exhibit heterogeneity in transcriptional and intercellular signaling features across different cancer types.
• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides a powerful tool to dissect complex tumor microenvironments (TMEs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively analyze transcriptional and intercellular signaling characteristics of tumor components in seven distinct human solid cancers.
• To identify unique molecular features and cell-cell communication patterns that may explain variations in tumor behavior and aggressiveness.

Main Methods:

• Publicly available scRNA-seq datasets from seven cancer types (PDAC, HCC, ESCC, BC, TC, GC, CRC) were analyzed.
• Differential gene expression and cell-cell interaction networks were inferred to characterize TMEs.

Main Results:

• Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) TME is myeloid-dominant with specific neutrophil populations and low vascularity.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor cells express stem cell markers; cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are scarce.
• CAFs are abundant in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and breast cancer (BC), while thyroid cancer (TC) shows high tumor-suppressor gene expression.

Conclusions:

• Comparative scRNA-seq analysis highlights distinct tumor phenotypes and cell-cell communication networks across human solid tumors.
• Understanding these unique TME features and signaling patterns is crucial for deciphering tumor aggressiveness and developing targeted therapies.