Tertiary lymphoid structures in Merkel cell carcinoma facilitate naive and central memory T-cell infiltration linked to immunotherapy response.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in solid tumors, including Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), is associated with a better prognosis and a better response to immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). The detailed mechanisms by which TLS influence antitumor immune responses are only partially understood.

Methods

Clinically annotated tumor tissues of 27 patients with MCC were obtained prior to ICI therapy. Tumor samples were subjected to transcriptomic and multiplex immuno-visual profiling, T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotype mapping, as well as-in selected cases-spatial transcriptomics to comprehensively characterize the tumor immune microenvironment.

Results

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of transcriptomic data in

SUBMITTER: Srinivas N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12458699 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature