Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation

BackgroundInvestigating the pivotal role of CTHRC1 in the tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).MethodThe RNA transcriptomic data obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas and single-cell sequencing data from TNBC in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were acquired and subjected to a...

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Main Authors: Hong Wan, Zichen Ling, Yuwei Xie, Han Jiang, Zhifan Ruan, Dashuai Yang, Xiaowei Yang, Jing Pei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1534981/full
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author Hong Wan
Hong Wan
Zichen Ling
Zichen Ling
Yuwei Xie
Yuwei Xie
Han Jiang
Han Jiang
Zhifan Ruan
Zhifan Ruan
Dashuai Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Jing Pei
Jing Pei
author_facet Hong Wan
Hong Wan
Zichen Ling
Zichen Ling
Yuwei Xie
Yuwei Xie
Han Jiang
Han Jiang
Zhifan Ruan
Zhifan Ruan
Dashuai Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Jing Pei
Jing Pei
author_sort Hong Wan
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundInvestigating the pivotal role of CTHRC1 in the tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).MethodThe RNA transcriptomic data obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas and single-cell sequencing data from TNBC in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were acquired and subjected to analysis. A comprehensive investigation was conducted with a specific focus on characterizing CTHRC1 in TNBC and its correlation with invasive genes. Furthermore, additional analyses were performed to explore the relationship between CTHRC1, tumor immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy in TNBC. The expression of CTHRC1 in the tumor microenvironment, cellular differentiation, and cellular communication was systematically analyzed using single-cell data from TNBC.ResultThe expression of CTHRC1 in patients with TNBC gradually increases concomitantly with the progression of tumor T-stage and N-stage. Simultaneously, there is a concurrent increase in the expression of most invasive gene sets. Furthermore, there is a significant augmentation in both infiltration abundance and activity of M2-type macrophages associated with elevated levels of CTHRC1 expression. Single-cell data reveal an upregulated expression of the invasive gene set in CTHRC1-positive cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), thereby modulating their interaction with M2-type macrophages. Multiple immunofluorescence analyses confirmed that CTHRC1 modulates immune cell infiltration and tumor cell invasion through the mediation of CAFs.ConclusionCTHRC1 was a molecule that exhibits characteristic expression in TNBC. CTHRC1 positive CAFs exert regulatory effects within the immunosuppressive microenvironment of TNBC by modulating M2-type macrophages.
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spelling doaj-art-e2fe6aa982dd4b79b8fc0f92b4f756cb2025-08-20T02:57:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-03-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15349811534981Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validationHong Wan0Hong Wan1Zichen Ling2Zichen Ling3Yuwei Xie4Yuwei Xie5Han Jiang6Han Jiang7Zhifan Ruan8Zhifan Ruan9Dashuai Yang10Xiaowei Yang11Xiaowei Yang12Jing Pei13Jing Pei14Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaBackgroundInvestigating the pivotal role of CTHRC1 in the tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).MethodThe RNA transcriptomic data obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas and single-cell sequencing data from TNBC in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were acquired and subjected to analysis. A comprehensive investigation was conducted with a specific focus on characterizing CTHRC1 in TNBC and its correlation with invasive genes. Furthermore, additional analyses were performed to explore the relationship between CTHRC1, tumor immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy in TNBC. The expression of CTHRC1 in the tumor microenvironment, cellular differentiation, and cellular communication was systematically analyzed using single-cell data from TNBC.ResultThe expression of CTHRC1 in patients with TNBC gradually increases concomitantly with the progression of tumor T-stage and N-stage. Simultaneously, there is a concurrent increase in the expression of most invasive gene sets. Furthermore, there is a significant augmentation in both infiltration abundance and activity of M2-type macrophages associated with elevated levels of CTHRC1 expression. Single-cell data reveal an upregulated expression of the invasive gene set in CTHRC1-positive cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), thereby modulating their interaction with M2-type macrophages. Multiple immunofluorescence analyses confirmed that CTHRC1 modulates immune cell infiltration and tumor cell invasion through the mediation of CAFs.ConclusionCTHRC1 was a molecule that exhibits characteristic expression in TNBC. CTHRC1 positive CAFs exert regulatory effects within the immunosuppressive microenvironment of TNBC by modulating M2-type macrophages.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1534981/fullTNBCinvasionCAFstumor microenvironmentM2-type macrophages
spellingShingle Hong Wan
Hong Wan
Zichen Ling
Zichen Ling
Yuwei Xie
Yuwei Xie
Han Jiang
Han Jiang
Zhifan Ruan
Zhifan Ruan
Dashuai Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Xiaowei Yang
Jing Pei
Jing Pei
Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
Frontiers in Immunology
TNBC
invasion
CAFs
tumor microenvironment
M2-type macrophages
title Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
title_full Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
title_fullStr Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
title_full_unstemmed Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
title_short Single-cell and transcriptome analyses revealed CTHRC1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in TNBC: experimental validation
title_sort single cell and transcriptome analyses revealed cthrc1 a potential therapeutic target mediating invasion and tumor microenvironment in tnbc experimental validation
topic TNBC
invasion
CAFs
tumor microenvironment
M2-type macrophages
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1534981/full
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