A single-cell atlas of liver metastases of colorectal cancer reveals reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment in response to preoperative chemotherapy

Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. How to improve therapeutic options for patients with metastatic CRC is the core question for CRC treatment. However, the complexity and diversity of stromal context of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in liver metastases of CRC have not been fully understood, and the influence of stromal cells on response to chemotherapy is unclear. Here we performed an in-depth analysis of the transcriptional landscape of primary CRC, matched liver metastases and blood at single-cell resolution, and a systematic examination of transcriptional changes and phenotypic alterations of the TME in response to preoperative chemotherapy (PC). Based on 111,292 single-cell transcriptomes, our study reveals that TME of treatment-naive tumors is characterized by the higher abundance of less-activated B cells and higher heterogeneity of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). By contrast, in tumors treated with PC, we found activation of B cells, lower diversity of TAMs with immature and less activated phenotype, lower abundance of both dysfunctional T cells and ECM-remodeling cancer-associated fibroblasts, and an accumulation of myofibroblasts. Our study provides a foundation for future investigation of the cellular mechanisms underlying liver metastasis of CRC and its response to PC, and opens up new possibilities for the development of therapeutic strategies for CRC.

Automated summary

Our study utilized single-cell transcriptome analysis to reveal that the TME of treatment-naive tumors is characterized by the higher abundance of less-activated B cells and higher heterogeneity of TAMs. In contrast, tumors treated with PC showed activation of B cells, lower diversity of TAMs with immature and less activated phenotype, lower abundance of dysfunctional T cells and ECM-remodeling cancer-associated fibroblasts, and an accumulation of myofibroblasts. This provides a foundation for future research on cellular mechanisms underlying liver metastasis of CRC and its response to PC.