Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling of Tetraspanins in Stage 4 Colon Cancer from Primary Tumor and Liver Metastasis
Author:
Suwatthanarak Thanawat12ORCID, Thanormjit Kullanist12, Suwatthanarak Tharathorn2ORCID, Acharayothin Onchira2, Methasate Asada2, Chinswangwatanakul Vitoon12, Tanjak Pariyada12ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Siriraj Cancer Center, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand 2. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
Abstract
Stage 4 colon cancer (CC) presents a significant global health challenge due to its poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Tetraspanins, the transmembrane proteins involved in crucial cancer processes, have recently gained attention as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. However, their spatial expression and potential roles in stage 4 CC tissues remain unknown. Using the GeoMx digital spatial profiler, we profiled all 33 human tetraspanin genes in 48 areas within stage 4 CC tissues, segmented into immune, fibroblast, and tumor compartments. Our results unveiled diverse gene expression patterns across different primary tumor sub-regions. CD53 exhibited distinct overexpression in the immune compartment, hinting at a potential role in immune modulation. TSPAN9 was specifically overexpressed in the fibroblast compartment, suggesting involvement in tumor invasion and metastasis. CD9, CD151, TSPAN1, TSPAN3, TSPAN8, and TSPAN13 displayed specific overexpression in the tumor compartment, indicating potential roles in tumor growth. Furthermore, our differential analysis revealed significant spatial changes in tetraspanin expression between patient-matched stage 4 primary CC and metastatic liver tissues. These findings provide spatially resolved insights into the expression and potential roles of tetraspanins in stage 4 CC progression, proposing their utility as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. Understanding this landscape is beneficial for tailoring therapeutic strategies to specific sub-tumor regions in the context of stage 4 CC and liver metastasis.
Funder
Health Systems Research Institute Foundation for Cancer Care, Siriraj Hospital
Subject
Paleontology,Space and Planetary Science,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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