Spatial transcriptomics exploration of the primary neuroblastoma microenvironment in archived FFPE samples unveils novel paracrine interactions.

ABSTRACT: High-risk neuroblastomas exhibit a high degree of intratumoral heterogeneity. Single-cell RNA sequencing has greatly improved our understanding of these tumors, but the method lacks cellular tissue context and spatial information about local signaling dynamics. To address this, we profiled untreated and chemotherapy-treated high-risk neuroblastomas from archived, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from two patients using spatial transcriptomics. We confirmed the transcriptional and cellular heterogeneous nature of the neuroblastoma microenvironment and identified several unique spatial niches and patterns. In one of the treated tumors, a spatially constrained cluster of undifferentiated and 11p-gained cancer cells was identified, surrounded by a rim of macrophages. A signalin

SUBMITTER: Siaw JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12438011 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature