About this Research Topic
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and life-threatening forms of cancer, impacting millions worldwide. This malignancy's heterogeneity and complexity have long posed significant challenges to both diagnosis and treatment. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics have opened new avenues for understanding this disease at an unprecedented resolution. These cutting-edge technologies have enabled researchers to delve into the intricate molecular landscape of breast cancer, uncovering novel biomarkers and dissecting complex cellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment (TME).
Single-cell sequencing provides insights into the cellular diversity within breast tumors. This approach has revealed distinct subpopulations of cancer cells, each with unique genetic and phenotypic profiles, contributing to tumor progression and treatment resistance. Furthermore, it has illuminated the role of non-cancerous cells in the TME, including immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, in influencing cancer development and patient outcomes.
Spatial transcriptomics, on the other hand, offers a complementary perspective by mapping gene expression patterns within the architectural context of the tumor tissue. This technology provides a spatial dimension to transcriptomic data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the TME and its impact on tumor heterogeneity and progression. It has been instrumental in identifying spatially distinct regions within tumors, each with unique molecular signatures that could be pivotal in guiding targeted therapies.
Together, single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics are providing an unparalleled view of the breast cancer landscape. They are enabling the identification of novel biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and personalized treatment strategies. These technologies are also crucial in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying drug resistance and metastasis, offering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
This Research Topic aims to explore and illuminate the evolving landscape of breast cancer research, with a particular emphasis on the latest advancements in single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. The primary objective is to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms and identify novel biomarkers in breast cancer, thereby contributing to the development of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. We seek contributions that offer new insights or validation of findings pertinent to the molecular understanding of breast cancer, and aim to foster a deeper understanding of tumor heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and metastatic pathways, ultimately guiding the development of more precise and effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for breast cancer.
We warmly invite the submission of Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews that focus primarily on, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
1．Intricate Molecular Dynamics in Breast Cancer: Insights into the cellular heterogeneity and molecular pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME) using single-cell sequencing.
2．Spatial Contextualization of Gene Expression: Advances in spatial transcriptomics to map gene expression patterns within breast cancer tissues and their implications for tumor progression and patient prognosis.
3．Identification and Validation of Novel Biomarkers: Discovery of new biomarkers for breast cancer using these technologies and their potential application in clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine.
4．Therapeutic Implications: Exploration of how insights from single-cell and spatial data can inform and enhance therapeutic strategies, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
5．Drug Resistance and Metastasis: Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind drug resistance and metastasis in breast cancer through high-resolution molecular profiling.
6．Integrative Multi-Omics Approaches: Combining single-cell and spatial transcriptomics with other omics data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of breast cancer.
Please NOTE: Manuscripts that solely rely on bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases without independent cohort validation or biological validation (in vitro or in vivo) will not be considered for this section.
Single-cell sequencing provides insights into the cellular diversity within breast tumors. This approach has revealed distinct subpopulations of cancer cells, each with unique genetic and phenotypic profiles, contributing to tumor progression and treatment resistance. Furthermore, it has illuminated the role of non-cancerous cells in the TME, including immune cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, in influencing cancer development and patient outcomes.
Spatial transcriptomics, on the other hand, offers a complementary perspective by mapping gene expression patterns within the architectural context of the tumor tissue. This technology provides a spatial dimension to transcriptomic data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the TME and its impact on tumor heterogeneity and progression. It has been instrumental in identifying spatially distinct regions within tumors, each with unique molecular signatures that could be pivotal in guiding targeted therapies.
Together, single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics are providing an unparalleled view of the breast cancer landscape. They are enabling the identification of novel biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and personalized treatment strategies. These technologies are also crucial in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying drug resistance and metastasis, offering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
This Research Topic aims to explore and illuminate the evolving landscape of breast cancer research, with a particular emphasis on the latest advancements in single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. The primary objective is to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms and identify novel biomarkers in breast cancer, thereby contributing to the development of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. We seek contributions that offer new insights or validation of findings pertinent to the molecular understanding of breast cancer, and aim to foster a deeper understanding of tumor heterogeneity, treatment resistance, and metastatic pathways, ultimately guiding the development of more precise and effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for breast cancer.
We warmly invite the submission of Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews that focus primarily on, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
1．Intricate Molecular Dynamics in Breast Cancer: Insights into the cellular heterogeneity and molecular pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME) using single-cell sequencing.
2．Spatial Contextualization of Gene Expression: Advances in spatial transcriptomics to map gene expression patterns within breast cancer tissues and their implications for tumor progression and patient prognosis.
3．Identification and Validation of Novel Biomarkers: Discovery of new biomarkers for breast cancer using these technologies and their potential application in clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine.
4．Therapeutic Implications: Exploration of how insights from single-cell and spatial data can inform and enhance therapeutic strategies, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
5．Drug Resistance and Metastasis: Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind drug resistance and metastasis in breast cancer through high-resolution molecular profiling.
6．Integrative Multi-Omics Approaches: Combining single-cell and spatial transcriptomics with other omics data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of breast cancer.
Please NOTE: Manuscripts that solely rely on bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases without independent cohort validation or biological validation (in vitro or in vivo) will not be considered for this section.
Keywords: Breast cancer, Single-Cell Sequencing, Spatial Transcriptomics, Tumor Microenvironment, Biomarkers
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
