A team of Singapore scientists has made a breakthrough in stomach cancer research by creating a detailed “atlas” of tumours, potentially paving the way for more precise treatments. Using cutting-edge spatial and genetic tools, the researchers identified two subgroups of gastric cancer tumours, each with unique cellular states and immune responses. This discovery could lead to targeted therapies that improve survival rates and reduce side effects.
The study, published in Cancer Discovery, involved analysing 226 gastric cancer samples from 121 patients using spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing. This approach allowed the team to map the interactions between cancer cells and their environment, revealing distinct differences between cells at the tumour’s core and edge. The core cells, marked by insufficient oxygen, were less likely to spread, whilst edge cells exhibited invasive characteristics.
Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS, likened the integration of spatial technologies and genetic tools to upgrading from an old roadmap to a high-tech GPS for cancer. “This gives us a powerful tool to develop better treatments tailored to each patient,” he said.
The research, supported by the National Research Foundation and the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium, also uncovered separate evolutionary pathways of tumour cells. These insights could expose gastric cancer’s vulnerabilities, offering new biomarkers for personalised therapies. Dr Raghav Sundar, a senior consultant at NCIS, highlighted the study’s potential to develop targeted therapies that overcome local barriers within the tumour microenvironment.
The team is now focused on identifying more therapeutic targets and testing them in pre-clinical models, moving closer to personalised cancer care.
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