Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the effects of chemotherapy on human pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a complex ecosystem that drives tumor progression; however, in-depth single cell characterization of the PDAC TME and its role in response to therapy is lacking. Here, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing on freshly collected human PDAC samples either before or after chemotherapy. Overall, we find a heterogeneous mixture of basal and classical cancer cell subtypes, along with distinct cancer-associated fibroblast and macrophage subpopulations. Strikingly, classical and basal-like cancer cells exhibit similar transcriptional responses to chemotherapy and do not demonstrate a shift towards a basal-like transcriptional program among treated samples. We observe decreased ligand-receptor interactions in treated samples, particularly between TIGIT on CD8 + T cells and its receptor on cancer cells, and identify TIGIT as the major inhibitory checkpoint molecule of CD8 + T cells. Our results suggest that chemotherapy profoundly impacts the PDAC TME and may promote resistance to immunotherapy. The role of therapy in shaping the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains to be explored. Here, the authors perform single-cell RNA sequencing in PDAC samples before and after chemotherapy and suggest that chemotherapy may promote resistance to immunotherapy.

Automated summary

The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) plays a crucial role in tumor progression. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on PDAC samples before and after chemotherapy. The results showed a heterogeneous mixture of cancer cell subtypes and distinct fibroblast and macrophage subpopulations. Interestingly, chemotherapy did not cause a shift towards a different cancer cell subtype, but rather impacted the ligand-receptor interactions, suggesting a potential role in promoting resistance to immunotherapy.