Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background Radiographically, ground-glass nodules (GGN) and part-solid nodules (PSN) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have significant heterogeneity in their clinical manifestations, biological characteristics, and prognosis. This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity of LUAD in different r...

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Main Authors: Yi-Feng Ren, Qiong Ma, Xiao Zeng, Chun-Xia Huang, Jia-Li Ren, Fang Li, Jia-Jing Tong, Jia-Wei He, Yang Zhong, Shi-Yan Tan, Hua Jiang, Long-Fei Zhang, Heng-Zhou Lai, Ping Xiao, Xiang Zhuang, Peng Wu, Li-Ting You, Wei Shi, Xi Fu, Chuan Zheng, Feng-Ming You
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-11-01
Series:Molecular Cancer
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-02177-7
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author Yi-Feng Ren
Qiong Ma
Xiao Zeng
Chun-Xia Huang
Jia-Li Ren
Fang Li
Jia-Jing Tong
Jia-Wei He
Yang Zhong
Shi-Yan Tan
Hua Jiang
Long-Fei Zhang
Heng-Zhou Lai
Ping Xiao
Xiang Zhuang
Peng Wu
Li-Ting You
Wei Shi
Xi Fu
Chuan Zheng
Feng-Ming You
author_facet Yi-Feng Ren
Qiong Ma
Xiao Zeng
Chun-Xia Huang
Jia-Li Ren
Fang Li
Jia-Jing Tong
Jia-Wei He
Yang Zhong
Shi-Yan Tan
Hua Jiang
Long-Fei Zhang
Heng-Zhou Lai
Ping Xiao
Xiang Zhuang
Peng Wu
Li-Ting You
Wei Shi
Xi Fu
Chuan Zheng
Feng-Ming You
author_sort Yi-Feng Ren
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Radiographically, ground-glass nodules (GGN) and part-solid nodules (PSN) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have significant heterogeneity in their clinical manifestations, biological characteristics, and prognosis. This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity of LUAD in different radiological phenotypes and associated factors influencing tumor evolution. Methods We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on tumor tissues from eight and seven cases of GGN– and PSN–LUAD, respectively, at different disease stages, including minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC), and metastatic lung cancer (MLC). Additionally, we analyzed adjacent normal tissues from four cases. Immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunofluorescence, and external scRNA-seq data were employed to confirm the expression of signature genes as well as the distribution patterns of CXCL9 + TAMs and TREM2 + TAMs. A LUAD mouse model was generated using gene editing, organoid culture, and orthotopic transplantation techniques, and comprehensive analyses such as histopathology, RNA sequencing, and Western blotting were performed to validate key pathways. Results Diverse cellular compositions were observed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during GGN– and PSN–LUAD invasion and metastasis. Notably, CXCL9 + and TREM2 + tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exhibited the most significant enrichment changes. It was found that GGN–LUAD exhibited a stronger immune response than PSN–LUAD, with increased interaction between CXCL9 + TAMs and CD8 + tissue-resident memory T cells during invasion stage (MIA–IAC). Conversely, greater interactions between TREM2 + TAMs and tumor cells were observed in PSN–LUAD during the MLC stage. Additionally, TREM2 + TAMs were found to differentiate into TREM2 + /SPP1 + and TREM2 + /SPP1– TAMs at different stages, which promotes tumor progression. This study also emphasizes that during the transdifferentiation process of GGN– and PSN–LUAD, IFN-γ activates the STAT1 signaling pathway to regulate the activation of CXCL9 + TAMs, and further recruiting CD8 + Trm cells and activating T cells through MHC class I antigen presentation. The role of the IFN-γ/STAT1 pathway in the occurrence and development of LUAD was further validated by animal experiments. Conclusions Our findings offer a potential therapeutic strategy to maintain a dynamic balance within the TME and improve the immunotherapy efficacy by modulating the relative proportions and functional states of CXCL9 + TAMs and TREM2 + TAMs.
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publishDate 2024-11-01
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series Molecular Cancer
spelling doaj-art-0c9c76b1f5bb4deabb51d87f6090b59d2024-11-24T12:13:47ZengBMCMolecular Cancer1476-45982024-11-0123112310.1186/s12943-024-02177-7Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinomaYi-Feng Ren0Qiong Ma1Xiao Zeng2Chun-Xia Huang3Jia-Li Ren4Fang Li5Jia-Jing Tong6Jia-Wei He7Yang Zhong8Shi-Yan Tan9Hua Jiang10Long-Fei Zhang11Heng-Zhou Lai12Ping Xiao13Xiang Zhuang14Peng Wu15Li-Ting You16Wei Shi17Xi Fu18Chuan Zheng19Feng-Ming You20Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineLC-Bio Technologies (Hangzhou) CO., LTDHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineLC-Bio Technologies (Hangzhou) CO., LTDHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaLC-Bio Technologies (Hangzhou) CO., LTDTCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineDepartment of Anesthesiology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineAbstract Background Radiographically, ground-glass nodules (GGN) and part-solid nodules (PSN) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have significant heterogeneity in their clinical manifestations, biological characteristics, and prognosis. This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity of LUAD in different radiological phenotypes and associated factors influencing tumor evolution. Methods We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on tumor tissues from eight and seven cases of GGN– and PSN–LUAD, respectively, at different disease stages, including minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC), and metastatic lung cancer (MLC). Additionally, we analyzed adjacent normal tissues from four cases. Immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunofluorescence, and external scRNA-seq data were employed to confirm the expression of signature genes as well as the distribution patterns of CXCL9 + TAMs and TREM2 + TAMs. A LUAD mouse model was generated using gene editing, organoid culture, and orthotopic transplantation techniques, and comprehensive analyses such as histopathology, RNA sequencing, and Western blotting were performed to validate key pathways. Results Diverse cellular compositions were observed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during GGN– and PSN–LUAD invasion and metastasis. Notably, CXCL9 + and TREM2 + tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exhibited the most significant enrichment changes. It was found that GGN–LUAD exhibited a stronger immune response than PSN–LUAD, with increased interaction between CXCL9 + TAMs and CD8 + tissue-resident memory T cells during invasion stage (MIA–IAC). Conversely, greater interactions between TREM2 + TAMs and tumor cells were observed in PSN–LUAD during the MLC stage. Additionally, TREM2 + TAMs were found to differentiate into TREM2 + /SPP1 + and TREM2 + /SPP1– TAMs at different stages, which promotes tumor progression. This study also emphasizes that during the transdifferentiation process of GGN– and PSN–LUAD, IFN-γ activates the STAT1 signaling pathway to regulate the activation of CXCL9 + TAMs, and further recruiting CD8 + Trm cells and activating T cells through MHC class I antigen presentation. The role of the IFN-γ/STAT1 pathway in the occurrence and development of LUAD was further validated by animal experiments. Conclusions Our findings offer a potential therapeutic strategy to maintain a dynamic balance within the TME and improve the immunotherapy efficacy by modulating the relative proportions and functional states of CXCL9 + TAMs and TREM2 + TAMs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-02177-7Lung adenocarcinomaPulmonary noduleTumor microenvironmentSingle-cell RNA sequencingCXCL9TREM2
spellingShingle Yi-Feng Ren
Qiong Ma
Xiao Zeng
Chun-Xia Huang
Jia-Li Ren
Fang Li
Jia-Jing Tong
Jia-Wei He
Yang Zhong
Shi-Yan Tan
Hua Jiang
Long-Fei Zhang
Heng-Zhou Lai
Ping Xiao
Xiang Zhuang
Peng Wu
Li-Ting You
Wei Shi
Xi Fu
Chuan Zheng
Feng-Ming You
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
Molecular Cancer
Lung adenocarcinoma
Pulmonary nodule
Tumor microenvironment
Single-cell RNA sequencing
CXCL9
TREM2
title Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
title_full Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
title_fullStr Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
title_short Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground-glass nodules and part-solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
title_sort single cell rna sequencing reveals immune microenvironment niche transitions during the invasive and metastatic processes of ground glass nodules and part solid nodules in lung adenocarcinoma
topic Lung adenocarcinoma
Pulmonary nodule
Tumor microenvironment
Single-cell RNA sequencing
CXCL9
TREM2
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-02177-7
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