Microenvironment analysis of mouse and human neuroblastoma reveals shared populations and unmasks various subsets of immunosuppressive cells. Microenvironment analysis of mouse and human neuroblastoma reveals shared populations and unmasks various subsets of immunosuppressive cells

High-risk neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer with dismal prognosis. In this study, we have used various approaches including single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect the tumor microenvironment of both a transgenic mouse neuroblastoma model and a cohort of biopsies from neuroblastoma patients. From the diverse cell populations identified, our data document a striking correspondence of the microenvironment populations between tumors from both species and unravel a complex content in myeloid cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Within the myeloid compartment we have characterized a population of cells exhibiting features of tumor-associated neutrophils and demonstrate that these cells obtained from the mouse model have immunosuppressive properties. Altogether, our study shows that neuroblastoma tumors have an immunocompromised microenvironment characterized by dysfunctional T-cells and accumulation of immunosuppressive cells. Our data provide the rationale for novel immunotherapeutic strategies in neuroblastoma, targeting both tumor cells and components of its microenvironment. Overall design: Single-Cell RNA-seq data for MYCN-driven mouse neuroblastoma