Single nuclei and spatial profiling of sacrococcygeal teratomas reveals cellular composition and X inactivation heterogeneity.

ABSTRACT: Sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCTs) are the most common neonatal tumors, yet their cellular origins, clinical stratification, and sex bias-occurring three times more in XX than XY individuals-remain poorly understood. To address these gaps, we examined six postnatal (one male and five female) and two prenatal (both female) SCTs by single nuclei RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics. We identified five broad cellular lineages in SCTs: stroma, epithelia, endothelia, neuroectoderm, and immune. The transcriptomes and lineage compositions showed significant heterogeneity, which offer a framework for future molecular stratification. SCTs are thought to originate from and be propagated by pluripotent cells, notably however, we did not detect these populations. Among female tumors, a subset of cells exh

SUBMITTER: Rojas EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12949016 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature