Integrated Single-Cell and Spatial Profiling of MMP Gene Expression in Colorectal Cancer

Multi-MMP expression clusters at the colorectal cancer–stroma interface co-occur across cancer cells, CAFs, and myeloid cells, with MMP7 linked to elevated Wnt and EMT markers.

• Why it matters: Understanding how MMP-expressing cell populations overlap in colorectal cancers is needed to explain stromal ECM breakdown and potential sites of tumor progression.
• What they did: The study integrated single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomic data to profile MMP expression across CAF subtypes, myeloid cells, and cancer cells, including MMP1/2/3, MMP2/11, and MMP7.
• The result: Spatial analysis identified cell-type–driven MMP clusters with notable overlap, and high-resolution mapping showed multi-MMP foci expressing MMP7 alongside Wnt signaling and EMT markers, suggesting potential escape sites.

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