Altered tumor signature and T-cell profile after chemotherapy reveal new therapeutic opportunities in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

Chemotherapy combined with debulking surgery is the standard treatment protocol for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Nonetheless, a significant number of patients encounter relapse due to the development of chemotherapy resistance. To better understand and address this resistance, we conducted a comprehensive study investigating the transcriptional alterations at the single-cell resolution in tissue samples from patients with HGSOC, using single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor sequencing techniques. Our analyses unveiled notable changes in the tumor signatures after chemotherapy, including those associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell cycle arrest. Within the immune compartment, we observed alterations in the T-cell profiles, characterized by naïve or pre-exhausted populations following chemotherapy. This phenotypic change was further supported by the examination of adjoining T-cell receptor clonotypes in paired longitudinal samples. These findings underscore the profound impact of chemotherapy on reshaping the tumor landscape and the immune microenvironment. This knowledge may provide clues for the development of future therapeutic strategies to combat treatment resistance in HGSOC.

Schwannomas exhibit distinct size-dependent gene-expression patterns

AIM

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-associated vestibular schwannomas have variable size at presentation which presents a unique challenge in NF2 patient management. Therefore, we investigated the molecular signature characteristic of the differences in size for improved individualized precise therapy.

MATERIALS & METHODS

RNA expression analysis was performed on 15 small and 27 large NF2-associated vestibular schwannoma tumors using a microarray analyzing over 47,000 transcripts.

RESULTS

A signature of 11 genes was found to be correlated with NF2 tumor size.

CONCLUSION

We have identified the genetic hallmark that differentiates large NF2-associated tumors from smaller tumors. This is the first time that these genes have been shown to be the hallmark for NF2 tumor size.