The immunological landscape in bladder cancer: a single cell RNA seq analysis of tumor bearing mouse bladders with a focus on sex differences

• In urothelial bladder cancer differences in clinical outcomes and responses to immunotherapy associate with tumor stage and sex. However, the tumor microenvironment landscape in urothelial cancer and its contexture in different stages and sexes is not fully deciphered. We utilized an autochthonous urothelial cancer model sampled at the non-muscle and muscle invasive stage from both sexes. Single cell RNA sequencing was applied to analyze intercellular interactions and sex differences in the two stages with focus on immune cell subsets. We discerned the Cd6-Alcam interaction to occur between lymphoid, tumor and myeloid cells and that female tumor bearing bladders were enriched in cells of lymphoid lineage compared to males, although male lymphoid cells were metabolically more active. Furthermore, we identified two subsets of Macrophages, Ccl8+ and Spp1+ that were characteristic for NMIBC and MIBC respectively, however both were found to be more active in immune cell recruitment, activation and cytokine signaling in females than males. Analysis of intercellular interactions of immune cells subsets revealed the role of Lyc6c2+ and Ace+ Monocytes as antigen presenting cells equipped with co-stimulatory receptors, and the Anxa1-Fpr2 immune suppressive axis to be active among tumor cells and subsets of granulocytes, macrophages and monocytes. Collectively our results demonstrate the complexity and sex specific differences of the tumor microenvironment in urothelial cancer using a clinically relevant murine model of progressive disease, and distinguish the Cd6-Alcam and Anxa1-Fpr2 interaction pathways of lymphoid, myeloid and tumor cells as potential targets of immune modulation for cancer therapy.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Immunologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Immunology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Immunologi

Immunology

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