Open AccessA single-cell and spatially resolved atlas of human breast cancers
Author(s) -
Sunny Z. Wu,
Ghamdan Al-Eryani,
Daniel Roden,
Simon Junankar,
Kate Harvey,
Alma Andersson,
Aatish Thennavan,
Chenfei Wang,
James Torpy,
Nenad Bartoniček,
Taopeng Wang,
Ludvig Larsson,
Dominik C. Kaczorowski,
Neil Weisenfeld,
Cedric Uytingco,
Jennifer Chew,
Zachary Bent,
Chia-Ling Chan,
Vikkitharan Gnanasambandapillai,
CharlesAntoine Dutertre,
Laurence Gluch,
Mun N. Hui,
Jane Beith,
Andrew Parker,
Elizabeth Robbins,
Davendra Segara,
Caroline Cooper,
Cindy Mak,
Belinda Chan,
Sanjay Warrier,
Florent Ginhoux,
Ewan A. Millar,
Joseph E. Powell,
Stephen R. Williams,
X. Shirley Liu,
Sandra A. O’Toole,
Elgene Lim,
Joakim Lundeberg,
Charles M. Perou,
Alexander Swarbrick
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nature genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 18.861
H-Index - 573
eISSN - 1546-1718
pISSN - 1061-4036
DOI - 10.1038/s41588-021-00911-1
Subject(s) - biology , transcriptome , immune system , breast cancer , stromal cell , single cell analysis , cell , immunophenotyping , computational biology , cancer , cancer research , immunology , genetics , antigen , gene expression , gene
Breast cancers are complex cellular ecosystems where heterotypic interactions play central roles in disease progression and response to therapy. However, our knowledge of their cellular composition and organization is limited. Here we present a single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics analysis of human breast cancers. We developed a single-cell method of intrinsic subtype classification (SCSubtype) to reveal recurrent neoplastic cell heterogeneity. Immunophenotyping using cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing (CITE-seq) provides high-resolution immune profiles, including new PD-L1/PD-L2 + macrophage populations associated with clinical outcome. Mesenchymal cells displayed diverse functions and cell-surface protein expression through differentiation within three major lineages. Stromal-immune niches were spatially organized in tumors, offering insights into antitumor immune regulation. Using single-cell signatures, we deconvoluted large breast cancer cohorts to stratify them into nine clusters, termed 'ecotypes', with unique cellular compositions and clinical outcomes. This study provides a comprehensive transcriptional atlas of the cellular architecture of breast cancer.