Data Sheet 1_Profiling of immune cell subsets and functional characteristics of cervical cancer based on single cell RNA sequencing.pdf

IntroductionA comprehensive characterization of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is essential to advance understanding of tumor biology and guide immunotherapy development.
MethodsUsing single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyzed 14,441 immune cells isolated from tumor tissues and paratumor tissues of three CSCC patients. By integrating data on tumor suppressors, oncogenic factors, cytokines, and chemokines, we performed differential gene expression analyses across immune populations.
ResultsThis analysis identified nine major immune cell subsets, including CD8+ T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), natural killer/T cells (NK/T cells), B cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), and macrophages. Notably, elevated CCR7 expression in exhausted CD8+ T cells was associated with improved prognosis, suggesting it as a preliminary candidate for an immunoregulatory target that warrants further investigation. Additionally, CCL5 levels were elevated in Tregs, indicating a possible involvement in their recruitment to the tumor site that requires further validation. Furthermore, differential gene expression analysis identified candidate genes for further mechanistic investigation.
DiscussionThis systematic comparison of the TME between tumor and paratumor tissues reveals dynamic changes in the immune landscape, providing insights and suggesting potential targets for further study to enhance understanding and treatment of CSCC.

引言：全面解析宫颈鳞状细胞癌（cervical squamous cell carcinoma, CSCC）肿瘤微环境（tumor microenvironment, TME）内的免疫细胞特征，对于深化肿瘤生物学认知、指导免疫治疗开发具有重要意义。
方法：本研究采用单细胞RNA测序（single-cell RNA sequencing）技术，对3名宫颈鳞状细胞癌患者的肿瘤组织及癌旁组织分离得到的14441个免疫细胞进行分析。通过整合抑癌因子、致癌因子、细胞因子及趋化因子相关数据，我们对不同免疫细胞群体开展了差异基因表达分析。
结果：本分析共鉴定出9种主要免疫细胞亚群，包括CD8+ T细胞、调节性T细胞（regulatory T cells, Tregs）、自然杀伤/T细胞（natural killer/T cells, NK/T细胞）、B细胞、浆细胞样树突状细胞（plasmacytoid dendritic cells, pDCs）及巨噬细胞。值得注意的是，耗竭型CD8+ T细胞中CCR7的高表达与良好预后显著相关，提示其可作为免疫调节靶点的初步候选分子，有待进一步深入研究。此外，调节性T细胞内CCL5水平升高，表明其可能参与免疫细胞向肿瘤部位的招募过程，该推测仍需进一步实验验证。同时，本研究通过差异基因表达分析还鉴定出一批可用于后续机制研究的候选基因。
讨论：本研究对肿瘤组织与癌旁组织的肿瘤微环境进行了系统性比较，揭示了免疫微环境的动态变化特征，为深化宫颈鳞状细胞癌的病理认知与治疗策略优化提供了全新视角，并提出了可供后续研究的潜在靶点。