| HRA008234
(Controlled Access)
|
Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE) is a rare, aggressive malignancy presenting significant clinical challenges. Chemotherapy manages early-stage symptoms but has limited long-term effectiveness, with mechanisms poorly understood. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze SCCE samples from a patient before and after chemotherapy. Our findings showed notable cellular plasticity and changes in the tumor microenvironment. Tumor cell diversity increased, while T cells, B cells, and myeloid-like cells decreased. Pre-treatment samples featured carcinoma cells in a middle transitional state, while post-treatment samples showed cells in terminal, initial-to-terminal (IniTerm), and universally altered states. Further analysis revealed dynamic tumor-immune cell interactions and changes in key signaling pathways like TIGIT-PVR and MDK-SDC4. This study sheds light on cell plasticity dynamics in SCCE post-chemotherapy, offering new insights and potential therapeutic targets for improved treatment. |