Spatial relationships of immune and cancer cells in colorectal cancer
2024
GE HealthCare Technology and Innovation Center, Niskayuna, USA(1)
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland(2)
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland(2)
This study explored the spatial relationships between T cells, cancer cells, and cancer cell characteristics as potential prognostic biomarkers in stage III colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers analysed protein markers at the single-cell level in tissue samples from two patient cohorts. They developed a method to measure the spatial proximity between different cell types. While the overall percentage of cytotoxic T cells did not significantly predict outcomes, shorter distances between cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, and cancer cells were linked to better disease-free survival in both cohorts. An unsupervised model based on these spatial relationships and protein expression profiles successfully classified patients into low-risk and high-risk groups for recurrence. This research indicates that the spatial arrangement of immune and cancer cells may serve as a valuable prognostic tool in colorectal cancer.
Spatial effects of infiltrating T cells on neighbouring cancer cells and prognosis in stage III CRC patients
Fiona Ginty(1), Jochen HM Prehn(2)
Added on: 01-02-2025
[1] https://pathsocjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/path.6327
