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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
09:29
Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
Published on: September 30, 2016
The MAPK Pathway Coordinates an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Cell Guided
Yao Zhang1,2, Xizheng Zhang1,2, Jiayu Wei1,2
1Department of Oncology, Wujin Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Cancer Informatics
|June 9, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a 17-gene prognostic score to predict colorectal cancer survival by analyzing the tumor microenvironment. This score identifies "cold tumor" phenotypes, potentially guiding chemotherapy and targeted drug sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in colorectal cancer (CRC) drives progression and treatment resistance.
- Understanding the TME's cellular composition and signaling is crucial but incomplete.
- This study investigates the TME's regulatory basis and develops a prognostic model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the regulatory mechanisms of the CRC immunosuppressive TME.
- To construct a clinically relevant prognostic model using integrated analyses.
- To identify key cellular players and signaling pathways within the CRC TME.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to map cellular landscapes and communication.
- Integration of public transcriptomic data for weighted gene co-expression network analysis.
- Machine learning to integrate multi-omics data and build a prognostic risk score.
Main Results:
- Macrophages and fibroblasts are key communicators via chemokine signaling in the CRC TME.
- The MAPK signaling pathway is a core module linked to immunosuppression.
- A 17-gene prognostic risk score was developed and preliminarily validated.
Conclusions:
- The 17-gene score independently predicts patient survival in colorectal cancer.
- It distinguishes tumor subtypes with unique immune microenvironments.
- High-risk tumors exhibit a cold, stroma-rich phenotype, suggesting potential therapeutic sensitivities.
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