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Enhancing Tumor Content through Tumor Macrodissection
Published on: February 12, 2022
Integrated spatially guided transcriptomics and multiplex imaging identify a high-risk CD163+/CD11c-subgroup in
Angelica Johansson1, Daniel Nilsson1, Filippa Wikström1
1Department of Immunotechnology, Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University, Lund.
Haematologica
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) immune microenvironment (TIME) subtypes, defined by CD163 and CD11c cells, predict patient prognosis. These TIME subtypes can guide stratification for novel immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Infiltrating immune cells in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are emerging as prognostic biomarkers.
- Understanding the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is crucial for therapeutic stratification in DLBCL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the TIME and molecular features that govern prognosis in DLBCL.
- To integrate multiplex immunofluorescence imaging and transcriptional profiling to analyze immune cell infiltration.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 561 DLBCL cases using multiplex immunofluorescence imaging for CD163+ and CD11c+ cells.
- Employed machine-learning classifiers for accurate cell density quantification.
- Performed spatially guided transcriptional profiling of immune and malignant cells.
Main Results:
- Identified a CD163low/CD11chigh TIME subgroup with favorable prognosis.
- Identified a CD163high/CD11clow TIME subgroup with poor prognosis, independent of existing risk factors.
- Demonstrated that these TIME subgroups are identifiable via routine dual immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining.
Conclusions:
- The CD163/CD11c TIME classification offers independent prognostic information for DLBCL.
- This classification has potential for routine clinical use and can inform stratification for novel therapeutic regimens, including checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., LAG-3, CTLA-4).
