Background <p>Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, and understanding the tumor immune microenvironment is crucial for identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. While T cells have been extensively studied in oncology, the role of B cells in CC remains poorly understood.</p> Methods <p>In this study, we generated and integrated multi-omics data, including single-cell RNA sequencing, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, bulk RNA sequencing, and multiplex immunofluorescence to investigate the composition and transcriptomic states of B cells in CC.</p> Results <p>Initially, we analyzed plasma cells, classifying them into IgA<sup>+</sup> and IgG<sup>+</sup> subtypes. We found that the proportion of IgA<sup>+</sup> plasma cells was lower in cancer samples, whereas IgG<sup>+</sup> plasma cells were higher. IgA<sup>+</sup> plasma cells exhibited protein folding and B cell activation characteristics, while IgG<sup>+</sup> plasma cells were associated with apoptosis and immune suppression. Subsequently, we focused on two specific plasma cell populations, MANF_PC and HSPA1B_PC. MANF_PC, which were predominantly enriched in normal tissues, were linked to enhanced antibody synthesis and better prognosis, while HSPA1B_PC, primarily found in cancerous tissues, were associated with apoptotic pathways and poor clinical outcomes. Importantly, HSPA1B_PC are associated with tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), where they show significant spatial colocalization with immunosuppressive T cell subsets, including Tregs and Th17 cells within TLS.</p> Conclusions <p>We identified distinct plasma cell subsets in CC and found that HSPA1B_PC are enriched in tumors, associated with immunosuppressive T cells in TLS. These findings suggest that HSPA1B_PC contribute to an immunosuppressive microenvironment in CC, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.</p>

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Multi-omics profiling reveals an immunosuppressive plasma cell subset within tertiary lymphoid structures in cervical cancer

  • Qingyu Huang,
  • Fuhao Wang,
  • Xiaohui Li,
  • Wenxue Zou,
  • Zhou Huang,
  • Xia Li,
  • Wenhui Yang,
  • Tianyu Lei,
  • Shengqin Yue,
  • Qian Wang,
  • Qi An,
  • Bicheng Zhang,
  • Cong Wang,
  • Chao Liu,
  • Qinyong Hu

摘要

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, and understanding the tumor immune microenvironment is crucial for identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. While T cells have been extensively studied in oncology, the role of B cells in CC remains poorly understood.

Methods

In this study, we generated and integrated multi-omics data, including single-cell RNA sequencing, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, bulk RNA sequencing, and multiplex immunofluorescence to investigate the composition and transcriptomic states of B cells in CC.

Results

Initially, we analyzed plasma cells, classifying them into IgA+ and IgG+ subtypes. We found that the proportion of IgA+ plasma cells was lower in cancer samples, whereas IgG+ plasma cells were higher. IgA+ plasma cells exhibited protein folding and B cell activation characteristics, while IgG+ plasma cells were associated with apoptosis and immune suppression. Subsequently, we focused on two specific plasma cell populations, MANF_PC and HSPA1B_PC. MANF_PC, which were predominantly enriched in normal tissues, were linked to enhanced antibody synthesis and better prognosis, while HSPA1B_PC, primarily found in cancerous tissues, were associated with apoptotic pathways and poor clinical outcomes. Importantly, HSPA1B_PC are associated with tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), where they show significant spatial colocalization with immunosuppressive T cell subsets, including Tregs and Th17 cells within TLS.

Conclusions

We identified distinct plasma cell subsets in CC and found that HSPA1B_PC are enriched in tumors, associated with immunosuppressive T cells in TLS. These findings suggest that HSPA1B_PC contribute to an immunosuppressive microenvironment in CC, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.