An integrated single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlas of thyroid cancer progression identifies prognostic fibroblast subpopulations

Abstract Thyroid cancer progression from curable well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma to highly lethal anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is distinguished by tumor cell de-differentiation and recruitment of a robust stromal infiltrate. Combining an integrated thyroid cancer single-cell sequencing atlas with spatial transcriptomics and bulk RNA-sequencing, we define stromal cell subpopulations and tumor-stromal cross-talk occurring across the histologic and mutational spectrum of thyroid cancer. We identify distinct inflammatory and myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblast (iCAF and myCAF) populations and perivascular-like populations. The myCAF population is only found in malignant samples and is associated with tumor cell invasion, BRAF V600E mutation, lymph node metastasis, and disease progression. Tumor-adjacent myCAFs abut invasive tumor cells with a partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotype. Tumor-distant iCAFs infiltrate inflammatory autoimmune thyroid lesions and anaplastic tumors. In summary, our study provides an integrated atlas of thyroid cancer fibroblast subtypes and spatial characterization at sites of tumor invasion and de-differentiation, defining the stromal reorganization central to disease progression.