Spatial transcriptomics: a new frontier in accurate localization of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Sage

Spatial transcriptomics supports precision breast cancer care by mapping gene expression within tissue space, exposing tumor microenvironment structure and cellular interactions that drive heterogeneity. The review synthesizes recent diagnostic and therapeutic advances, emphasizing improved diagnostic accuracy, identification of new therapeutic targets, characterization of tumor progression and metastasis, and evaluation of drug responses. It also highlights high-resolution tumor cell maps and the role of immunotherapy in linking tumor heterogeneity to clinical outcomes, informing clinical decision-making.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Keywords

TYPE Review PUBLISHED 08 October 2024 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1483595 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Raquel Alarcon Rodriguez, University of Almeria, Spain REVIEWED BY Yuquan Chen, Monash University, Australia Zhijia Xia, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany Lanqian Su, Southwest Medical University, China *CORRESPONDENCE Xiaofei Liu [drliuxf@126.com](drliuxf@126.com) †These authors have contributed equally to this work RECEIVED 20 August 2024 ACCEPTED 23 September 2024 PUBLISHED 08 October 2024 CITATION Zhang Y, Gong S and Liu X (2024) Spatial transcriptomics: a new frontier in accurate localization of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Front. Immunol. 15:1483595 . doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1483595 COPYRIGHT © 2024 Zhang, Gong and Liu. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Spatial transcriptomics: a new frontier in accurate localization of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment Yang Zhang 1†, Shuhua Gong 2† and Xiaofei Liu 1* 1 Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Afﬁliated Hospital, Jinan, China, 2 Department of Student Affair, Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai, China Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women globally. Its treatment and prognosis are sign iﬁcantly inﬂuenced by the tumor microenvironment and tumor heterogeneity. Precision therapy enhances treatment efﬁcacy, reduces unwanted side effects, and maximizes patients ’survival duration while improving their quality of life. Spatial transcriptomics is of signiﬁcant importance for the precise treatment of breast cancer, playing a critical role in revealing the internal structural differences of tumors and the composition of the tumor microenvironment. It offers a novel perspective in studying the spatial structure and cell interactions within tumors, facilitating more effective personalized treatments for breast cancer. This article will summarize the latest ﬁndings in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer from the perspective of spatial transcriptomics, focusing on the revelation of the tumor microenvironment, identiﬁcation of new therapeutic targets, enhancement of disease diagnostic accuracy, comprehension of tumor progression and metastasis, assessment of drug responses, creation of highresolution maps of tumor cells, representation of tumor heterogeneity, and support for clinical decision-making, particularly in elucidating the tumor microenvironment, tumor heterogeneity, immunotherapy and their correlation with clinical outcomes. KEYWORDS breast cancer, spatial transcriptomics, tumor heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy 1 Introduction The therapeutic approach to breast cancer necessitates a personalized strategy that accounts for the patient’s unique proﬁle, encompassing the tumor’s biological attributes, genomic expression signatures, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, HER2 ampliﬁcation, tumor microenvironmental dynamics, the patient’s genetic predispositions, Frontiers in Immunology 01 [frontiersin.org](frontiersin.org) and lifestyle factors (1) . Breast cancer is stratiﬁed into distinct molecular subtypes, including Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), each exhibiting divergent responses to therapeutic interventions, thereby underscoring the imperative for tailored treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapies, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies (Figure 1) . Molecular subtyping also serves as a prognostic indic

FAQs

What is the main role of spatial transcriptomics in breast cancer research?

Spatial transcriptomics reveals internal structural differences of tumors and the composition of the tumor microenvironment, offering a way to study spatial structure and cell interactions for more precise, personalized treatment.

How does the review connect tumor microenvironment and tumor heterogeneity to treatment outcomes?

It emphasizes that tumor microenvironment and tumor heterogeneity underlie clinical outcomes, and it discusses how spatial transcriptomics can elucidate these features and support clinical decision-making.

Which areas does the article cover regarding diagnosis and treatment?

It summarizes advances in diagnosing and treating breast cancer, including tumor microenvironment revelation, new therapeutic target identification, improved diagnostic accuracy, tumor progression and metastasis understanding, drug response assessment, and high-resolution mapping and representation of heterogeneity.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Sage