Cancer cell immune mimicry delineates onco-immunologic modulation

• Published in: iScience Vol. 24; no. 10; p. 103133
• Main Authors: Gao, Rui, He, Bin, Huang, Qitao, Wang, Zifeng, Yan, Min, Lam, Eric Wing-Fai, Lin, Suxia, Wang, Bo, Liu, Quentin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 22.10.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological sciences; Genomics; Immunology; Genomics; Biological sciences; Immunology
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103133

Immune transcripts are essential for depicting onco-immunologic interactions. However, whether cancer cells mimic immune transcripts to reprogram onco-immunologic interaction remains unclear. Here, single-cell transcriptomic analyses of 7,737 normal and 37,476 cancer cells reveal increased immune transcripts in cancer cells. Cells gradually acquire immune transcripts in malignant transformation. Notably, cancer cell-derived immune transcripts contribute to distinct prognoses of immune gene signatures. Optimized immune response signature (oIRS), obtained by excluding cancer-related immune genes from immune gene signatures, and offers a more reliable prognostic value. oIRS reveals that antigen presentation, NK cell killing and T cell signaling are associated with favorable prognosis. Patients with higher oIRS expression are associated with favorable responses to immunotherapy. Indeed, CD83+ cell infiltration, which indicates antigen presentation activity, predicts favorable prognosis in breast cancer. These findings unveil that immune mimicry is a distinct cancer hallmark, providing an example of cancer cell plasticity and a refined view of tumor microenvironment. [Display omitted] •Single-cell transcriptome reveals immune mimicry as a distinct cancer hallmark•Mimicry transcripts contribute to distinct prognoses of immune gene signatures•oIRS refines prognostic evaluation and points to core favorable immune processes•oIRS signifies the role of antigen presentation and indicates immunotherapy response Biological sciences; Immunology; Genomics