ETMR stem-like state and chemo-resistance are supported by perivascular cells at single-cell resolution.

ABSTRACT: Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a lethal embryonal brain tumor entity. To investigate the intratumoral heterogeneity and cellular communication in the tumor microenvironment (TME), we analyze in this work single-cell RNA sequencing of about 250,000 cells of primary human and murine ETMR, in vitro cultures, and a 3D forebrain organoid model of ETMR, supporting the main findings with immunohistochemistry and spatial transcriptomics of human tumors. We characterize three distinct malignant ETMR subpopulations - RG-like, NProg-like and NB-like - positioned within a putative neurodevelopmental hierarchy. We reveal PDGFRβ⁺ pericytes as key communication partners in the TME, contributing to stem cell signaling through extracellular matrix-mediated interactions with

SUBMITTER: de Faria FW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12198369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature