5/17

To understand the immune landscape at single-cell resolution, @hoheyn.bsky.social and @paulanietog.bsky.social from @cnag-eu.bsky.social led an extensive scRNA-seq + TCR-seq analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and myeloid cells in models of metastatic CRC under treatment.

5️⃣ The Single Cell Genomics Group at CNAG (@hoheyn.bsky.social, @paulanietog.bsky.social, @jcnietos.bsky.social and Ginevra Caratù), played a key role in the study by sequencing individual cells and analysing the tumour microenvironment, helping reveal how colorectal cancer evades immunotherapy

4️⃣ New avenues for treatments

✨Understanding how tumours evade the immune system opens paths for new therapies

✨One approach targets osteopontin, a protein that slows T cell multiplication, aiming to make immunotherapy effective for more patients

#ColorectalCancer #Research

3️⃣ The discovery

Via the hormone TGF-β, colorectal tumours build a dual barrier against the immune system:

👉 Blocks T cells from entering the tumour from the blood

👉 Reprogrammes macrophages to produce osteopontin, slowing the multiplication of the few T cells that infiltrate

2️⃣ What we study

🔬The research combined mouse metastasis models with patient tumour analyses

🔬At CNAG, the Single Cell Genomics Group sequenced individual cells within the tumour microenvironment and ran bioinformatics analyses to pinpoint the main players affected by TGF-β

1️⃣ Bit of context

🌍 Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death
💉 Most metastatic colorectal cancers don’t respond to immunotherapy
⚠️ High TGF-β protein levels are linked to poor prognosis

But how does this protein enable the tumour to resist treatment?👇