Unveiling the Genomic Landscape of Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate Using Spatial Gene Expression Analysis

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 9; p. 4818
• Main Authors: Watanabe, Ryuta, Miura, Noriyoshi, Kurata, Mie, Kitazawa, Riko, Kikugawa, Tadahiko, Saika, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Cancer; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Ductal - genetics; Carcinoma, Ductal - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal - pathology; Development and progression; Fibroblasts; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes; Genetic aspects; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - genetics; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - metabolism; hypoxic markers; immune cells; intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDCP); Kallikrein; Male; Medical prognosis; Morphology; Mutation; Pathogenesis; Pathology; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - genetics; Prostatic Neoplasms - metabolism; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Receptors, CCR5; spatial gene expression analysis; Transcriptome; tumor microenvironment; Tumor Microenvironment - genetics; Tumors; intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDCP); immune cells; spatial gene expression analysis; tumor microenvironment; hypoxic markers
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094818

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDCP) has recently attracted increasing interest owing to its unfavorable prognoses. To effectively identify the IDCP-specific gene expression profile, we took a novel approach of characterizing a typical IDCP case using spatial gene expression analysis. A formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sample was subjected to Visium CytAssist Spatial Gene Expression analysis. IDCP within invasive prostate cancer sites was recognized as a distinct cluster separate from other invasive cancer clusters. Highly expressed genes defining the IDCP cluster, such as , , , and , reflected the aggressive nature of high-grade prostate cancer. IDCP sites also showed increased hypoxia markers , , , and ; decreased fibroblast markers , , and ; and decreased immune cell markers and . Overall, these findings indicate that the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and reduced recruitment of fibroblasts and immune cells, which reflect morphological features of IDCP, may influence the aggressiveness of high-grade prostate cancer.