biostudies-literatureUnknown23(1)Li SRecent advances in cancer research have highlighted the pivotal role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in modulating immune responses, particularly in breast cancer (BRCA). Here, we performed an integrated analysis of bulk transcriptome data from over 6000 BRCA samples using biological network-based computational strategies and machine learning (ML) methods, and identified LGALS2 as a key marker within TLSs. Single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics uncover the role of LGALS2 in TLS-associated dendritic cells (DCs) stimulation and reveal the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) at both the macro and micro levels. Elevated LGALS2 expression correlates with prolonged survival, which is associated with a robust immune response marked by diverse immune cell infiltrationMolecular cancer216https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11441145biostudies-literatureDeciphering the role of LGALS2: insights into tertiary lymphoid structure-associated dendritic cell activation and immunotherapeutic potential in breast cancer patients.PMC11441145Zhou MYang ZHuang CLi SCheng QZhang HZhang NWei KfalseDeciphering the role of LGALS2: insights into tertiary lymphoid structure-associated dendritic cell activation and immunotherapeutic potential in breast cancer patients.Recent advances in cancer research have highlighted the pivotal role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in modulating immune responses, particularly in breast cancer (BRCA). Here, we performed an integrated analysis of bulk transcriptome data from over 6000 BRCA samples using biological network-based computational strategies and machine learning (ML) methods, and identified LGALS2 as a key marker within TLSs. Single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics uncover the role of LGALS2 in TLS-associated dendritic cells (DCs) stimulation and reveal the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) at both the macro and micro levels. Elevated LGALS2 expression correlates with prolonged survival, which is associated with a robust immune response marked by diverse immune cell infiltration2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Sep2025-04-04T23:41:51.833Z2025-04-04T23:41:51.833ZS-EPMC114411453935016510.1186/s12943-024-02126-4