Quantitative profiling of intratumor immune heterogeneity identifies loss of immune diversity as a hallmark of cancer progression.

ABSTRACT: Immunological intratumor heterogeneity (ImTH) describes the variability in the types, spatial distribution, and functional states of immune cells within tumors. While evidence suggests that ImTH influences tumor progression and therapeutic response, few studies have provided a quantitative characterization of ImTH. Here, we present Scoring Immunological Intratumor Heterogeneity (ScImTH), a novel algorithm that quantifies ImTH by calculating the Shannon entropy of immune cell type proportions within the tumor microenvironment. Using bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic datasets, we show that reduced ScImTH scores are associated with unfavorable survival outcomes, tumor progression-related molecular and phenotypic features, immunosuppressive states, and resistance to immunotherapy a

SUBMITTER: Lu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820210 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature