Spatial biology reveals altered macrophage states in immunosuppressed non-melanoma skin cancer.

Immunosuppressed non-melanoma skin cancers show significant spatial and functional changes in macrophage and immune cell organization, with reduced macrophage densities and altered niches.

• Why it matters: Understanding how systemic immunosuppression impacts the tumor immune microenvironment is crucial for improving outcomes in high-risk patients, as current knowledge is limited.
• What they did: The study employed integrated single-cell, spatial transcriptomic, multiplex immunofluorescence, and spatial epigenomic profiling on tumors from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients, analyzing immune-cell composition and spatial arrangements.
• The result: Findings reveal consistent immune organization alterations, including decreased intratumoral macrophages and T cell diversity, providing a framework for targeted therapies in immunosuppressed skin cancer patients.