Spatial determinants of tumor cell dedifferentiation and plasticity in primary cutaneous melanoma.

ABSTRACT: Early detection of melanoma through skin surveillance is critical for preventing metastatic progression. Primary cutaneous melanomas at early stage offer a unique opportunity to uncover fundamental mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression, and immune surveillance, but detailed spatial profiling of early disease remains limited. Here we integrate high-plex cyclic immunofluorescence (CyCIF) imaging, spatial transcriptomics, and conventional histology to identify factors associated with de-differentiation and dermal invasion in early-stage melanomas. We demonstrate a high level of variability from one primary cancer to the next, from one 100-300 cell microregion to the next within a single cancer, and from one cell to the next within a microregion. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity is influenced

SUBMITTER: Vallius T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12262277 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature