Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most fatal form of lung cancer. Intratumoral heterogeneity, marked by neuroendocrine (NE) and non-neuroendocrine (non-NE) cell states, defines SCLC, but the cell-extrinsic drivers of SCLC plasticity are poorly understood. To map the landscape of SCLC tumor microenvironment (TME), we apply spatially resolved transcriptomics and quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics to metastatic SCLC tumors obtained via rapid autopsy. The phenotype and overall composition of non-malignant cells in the TME exhibit substantial variability, closely mirroring the tumor phenotype, suggesting TME-driven reprogramming of NE cell states. We identify cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a crucial element of SCLC TME heterogeneity, contributing to immune exclusion, and predicting exceptionally poor prognosis. Our work provides a comprehensive map of SCLC tumor and TME ecosystems, emphasizing their pivotal role in SCLC's adaptable nature, opening possibilities for reprogramming the TME-tumor communications that shape SCLC tumor states.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 101610 |
| Pages (from-to) | 101610 |
| Journal | Cell Reports Medicine |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 18 2024 |
Keywords
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Humans
- Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/pathology
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism
- Neuroendocrine Tumors/pathology
- Neuroendocrine Cells/pathology
- Female
- Male
- Prognosis
- small-cell lung cancer
- cancer-associated fibroblasts
- spatial transcriptomics
- intercellular communication
- rapid research autopsy
- tumor microenvironment
- tumor heterogeneity