Spatial analysis of a complete DIPG-infiltrated brainstem reveals novel ligand-receptor mediators of tumour-to-TME crosstalk.

Abstract

Previous studies have highlighted the capacity of brain cancer cells to functionally interact with the tumour microenvironment (TME). This TME-cancer crosstalk crucially contributes to tumour cell invasion and disease progression. In this study, we performed spatial transcriptomic sequencing analysis of a complete annotated tumour-infiltrated brainstem from a single diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) patient. Gene signatures from ten sequential tumour regions were analysed to assess mechanisms of disease progression and oncogenic interactions with the TME. We identified four distinct tumour subpopulations and assessed respective ligand-receptor pairs that actively promote DIPG tumour progression via crosstalk with endothelial, neuronal and immune cell communities. Our analysis found potential targetable mediators of tumour-to-TME communication, including members of the complement component system and the neuropeptide/GPCR ligand-receptor pair ADCYAP1-ADCYAP1R1. These interactions could influence DIPG tumour progression and represent novel therapeutic targets.