Characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts and their spatial architecture reveals heterogeneity and survival associations in classic Hodgkin lymphoma.

ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogeneous population of stromal cells, which modulate the immune system and can have both pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects. In classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), the role of CAFs has remained largely undefined. We applied multiplexed immunofluorescence imaging and spatial analysis on tumor samples from two independent cHL patient cohorts (n = 131 and n = 148) to study CAFs and their interactions with Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg (HRS) and tumor microenvironment (TME) cells at the single-cell resolution. We show that higher proportions of CAFs are associated with favorable outcomes, independent of the clinical covariables. In contrast, a subset of CD45⁺ immune cells with strong fibroblast-activation protein positivity, classifi

SUBMITTER: Leivonen SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12107116 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature