Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Distinct Architectures but Shared Vulnerabilities in Primary and Metastatic Liver Tumors.

ABSTRACT: Background: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastases differ in origin, progression, and therapeutic response, yet a direct high-resolution spatial comparison of their tumor microenvironments (TMEs) within the liver has not previously been performed. Methods: We applied high-definition spatial transcriptomics to fresh-frozen specimens of one HCC and one liver metastasis (>16,000 genes per sample, >97% mapping rates) as a proof-of-principle two-specimen study, cross-validated in human proteomics and patients' survival datasets. Transcriptional clustering revealed spatially distinct compartments, rare cell states, and pathway alterations, which were further compared against an independent systemic dataset. Results: HCC displayed an ordered lineage archi

SUBMITTER: Adapa SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12523610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature