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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1513076
This article is part of the Research Topic Monitoring the Immune/Tumor Microenvironment to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy View all 4 articles

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals FGF12 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma

Provisionally accepted
Yu Miao Yu Miao 1,2Meng Dong Meng Dong 3Qiyin Zhou Qiyin Zhou 2Julia Thiel Julia Thiel 3Na Li Na Li 4Ying Cai Ying Cai 2Dan Yuan Dan Yuan 5Haitao Wang Haitao Wang 6Su-Han Jin Su-Han Jin 7Hua Yang Hua Yang 4Jinjing Wang Jinjing Wang 5Benjamin Frey Benjamin Frey 10,8,9Udo S Gaipl Udo S Gaipl 10,8,9Hu Ma Hu Ma 2Jian-Guo Zhou Jian-Guo Zhou 2*
  • 1 Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
  • 2 Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
  • 3 Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie (IKP), Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • 4 Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
  • 5 Department of Pathology, Affiliated hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
  • 6 Thoracic Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, United States
  • 7 Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China
  • 8 Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
  • 9 Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC), Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
  • 10 FAU Profile Center Immunomedicine (FAU I-MED), Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS) is a rare uterine malignancy characterized by its complex tumor microenvironment (TME) and high recurrence rates, posing challenges to accurate prognosis and effective treatment. Identifying prognostic biomarkers is essential for improving patient stratification and guiding therapeutic strategies. Methods: Using single-cell transcriptome analysis combined with H&E and multiplex immunofluorescence staining, we identified a subpopulation of tumor cells in LG-ESS and further validated the association of this subpopulation and its characteristic genes with LG-ESS prognosis by molecular characterization and bulk transcriptome data. Results: Our analysis reveals multiple cellular subpopulations within the tumor tissue, particularly a tumor cell subpopulation among them which is associated with poor prognosis. Originating from normal stromal fibroblasts, this subpopulation appears to play a crucial role in TME remodeling, smooth muscle cell behavior, and potentially in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Of particular interest in this subpopulation is the highly expressed FGF12 gene, which is significantly associated with a shortened survival in ESS, highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Conclusion: Our study reveals the complexity of TME within the LG-ESS and highlights the role that tumor cell subpopulations play in disease progression and patient prognosis. The identification of FGF12 as a prognostic biomarker suggests a new approach for the personalized treatment and prognosis monitoring of patients.

    Keywords: ScRNA-seq, FGF12, Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, Tumor microenvironments, prognostic biomarker

    Received: 17 Oct 2024; Accepted: 12 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Miao, Dong, Zhou, Thiel, Li, Cai, Yuan, Wang, Jin, Yang, Wang, Frey, Gaipl, Ma and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jian-Guo Zhou, Department of Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.