Single-cell and spatial analysis reveal interaction of FAP+ fibroblasts and SPP1+ macrophages in colorectal cancer

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common malignancies with limited treatments other than surgery. The tumor microenvironment (TME) profiling enables the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. Here, we profile 54,103 cells from tumor and adjacent tissues to characterize cellular composition and elucidate the potential origin and regulation of tumor-enriched cell types in CRC. We demonstrate that the tumor-specific FAP + fibroblasts and SPP1 + macrophages were positively correlated in 14 independent CRC cohorts containing 2550 samples and validate their close localization by immuno-fluorescent staining and spatial transcriptomics. This interaction might be regulated by chemerin, TGF-β, and…

• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai

  Award: 20ZR1472900
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 81971487, 91942311, 82073145, 31930035
• SA
  Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality

  Awards: 20JC1410100, 20ZR1472900
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2021YFA1301400