Integrative spatial omics reveals distinct tumor-promoting multicellular niches and immunosuppressive mechanisms in Black American and White American patients with TNBC.

ABSTRACT: Racial disparities in the clinical outcomes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have been well-documented, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. To investigate these disparities, we employed a multi-omic approach integrating imaging mass cytometry and spatial transcriptomics to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) in self-identified Black American (BA) and White American (WA) TNBC patients. Our analysis revealed that the TME in BA patients is marked by a network of endothelial cells, macrophages, and mesenchymal-like cells, which correlates with reduced patient survival. In contrast, the WA TNBC microenvironment is enriched in T-cells and neutrophils, indicative of T-cell exhaustion and suppressed immune responses. Ligand-receptor and pathway analy

SUBMITTER: Zhu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12271405 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature