Recent developments in application of single-cell RNA sequencing in the tumour immune microenvironment and cancer therapy

The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)has provided insight into the tumour immune microenvironment(TIME).This review focuses on the application of scRNA-seq in investigation of the TIME.Over time,scRNA-seq methods have evolved,and components of the TIME have been deciphered with high resolution.In this review,we first introduced the principle of scRNA-seq and compared different sequencing approaches.Novel cell types in the TIME,a continuous transitional state,and mutual intercommunication among TIME components present potential targets for prognosis prediction and treatment in cancer.Thus,we concluded novel cell clusters of cancerassociated fibroblasts(CAFs),T cells,tumour-associated macrophages(TAMs)and dendritic cells(DCs)discovered after the application of scRNA-seq in TIME.We also proposed the development of TAMs and exhausted T cells,as well as the possible targets to interrupt the process.In addition,the therapeutic interventions based on cellular interactions in TIME were also summarized.For decades,quantification of the TIME components has been adopted in clinical practice to predict patient survival and response to therapy and is expected to play an important role in the precise treatment of cancer.Summarizing the current findings,we believe that advances in technology and wide application of single-cell analysis can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer therapy,which can subsequently be implemented in the clinic.Finally,we propose some future directions in the field of TIME studies that can be aided by scRNA-seq technology.

Preliminary Exploration of the Clinical Features and Immunological Correlation between TIGIT and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To analyze the relationship between TIGIT and clinical features of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, we use transcriptomic data from the TCGA database, and to investigate the relationship between TIGIT and the immune microenvironment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, to provide a basis for improving the treatment strategy and prognosis of patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Methods: RNA sequencing data and clinical data corresponding to cancer tissues were obtained from the TCGA database for Esophageal carcinoma, Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma tissues, and paraneoplastic tissues;then we analyzed the differences in TIGIT expression in Esophageal carcinoma, Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and normal esophageal tissues;then we analyzed the relationship between TIGIT expression levels and overall survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma;finally, we explored the relationship between TIGIT expression levels and overall survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. We investigated the relationship between TIGIT and the tumor immune microenvironment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by tumor immune infiltration and functional enrichment analysis. Results: Our study revealed that TIGIT was highly expressed in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and patients with high TIGIT expression had worse overall survival. We also found a close relationship between TIGIT expression levels and the immune microenvironment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, with high TIGIT expression positively correlated with multiple immune cells. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that TIGIT is associated with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma malignancy and is closely linked to the immune microenvironment. Furthermore, high expression of TIGIT often predicts poorer clinical features.