Exploration of spatial heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via transcriptional digital spatial profiling.

ABSTRACT: The heterogeneity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) leads to mixed clinical outcomes. We collected 92 regions of interest from 41 biopsies of patients with untreated NPC and obtained their transcripts using GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) technology. Spatial heterogeneity was determined by measuring the expression of marker genes in tumor cell-enriched (PanCK-expressing), immune cell-enriched (CD45-expressing), and normal epithelial (Endo) regions. We screened 16 prognostic markers in tumor cell-enriched regions and 4 prognostic markers in immune cell-enriched regions. The levels of CD8⁺ T follicular helper T cells, activated NK cells, and M0 macrophage contents were higher in tumor cell-enriched regions than in immune cell-enriched regions. Conversely, plasma cell and M2

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10158028 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature