Single-cell and spatial transcriptome analyses reveal tumor immunometabolism in lymph node metastasis of lung cancer

OBJECTIVE: Progressive metabolic adaptation of tumor cells enables a thriving tumor microenvironment in which immune cells have diminished killing ability. However, whether and how this adaptation plays an active role in lymph node (LN) metastasis of lung cancer remains unclear. METHODS: = 875). Spatial neighborhood and ligand-receptor analyses were used to examine primary LN metastatic cancer cell (PLMC)-immune interactions. RESULTS: GDF15-TGFBR2 axis signaling, drive Tfh exhaustion and suppress adjacent B-cell activation. CONCLUSIONS: This study delineated transcriptional differences between primary tumors and MetLNs in lung cancer, thereby providing a foundation for further exploration of LN metastasis.