Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals melanoma cell state-dependent heterogeneity of response to MAPK inhibitors.

Background: Melanoma is a heterogeneous cancer influenced by the plasticity of melanoma cells and their dynamic adaptations to microenvironmental cues. Melanoma cells transition between well-defined transcriptional cell states that impact treatment response and resistance.

Methods: In this study, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing to interrogate the molecular features of immunotherapy-naive and immunotherapy-resistant melanoma tumours in response to ex vivo BRAF/MEK inhibitor treatment.

Findings: We confirm the presence of four distinct melanoma cell states - melanocytic, transitory, neural-crest like and undifferentiated, and identify enrichment of neural crest-like and undifferentiated melanoma cells in immunotherapy-resistant tumours. Furthermore, we introduce an integrated computational approach to identify subsets of responding and nonresponding melanoma cells within the transcriptional cell states.

Interpretation: Nonresponding melanoma cells are identified in all transcriptional cell states and are predisposed to BRAF/MEK inhibitor resistance due to pro-inflammatory IL6 and TNFɑ signalling. Our study provides a framework to study treatment response within distinct melanoma cell states and indicate that tumour-intrinsic pro-inflammatory signalling contributes to BRAF/MEK inhibitor resistance.

Funding: This work was supported by Macquarie University, Melanoma Institute Australia, and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC; grant 2012860, 2028055).