Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals different cellular states in malignant cells and the tumor microenvironment in primary and metastatic ER-positive breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Metastatic breast cancer remains largely incurable, and the mechanisms driving the transition from primary to metastatic breast cancer remain elusive. We analyzed the complex landscape of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer primary and metastatic tumors using scRNA-seq data from twenty-three female patients with either primary or metastatic disease. By employing single-cell transcriptional profiling of unpaired patient samples, we sought to elucidate the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying changes in the metastatic tumor ecosystem. We identified specific subtypes of stromal and immune cells critical to forming a pro-tumor microenvironment in metastatic lesions, including CCL2+ macrophages, exhausted cytotoxic T cells, and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells. Analysis of cell-cell c

SUBMITTER: Ozmen F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12381257 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature