Spatial omics resolves adrenergic and mesenchymal cell states in neuroblastoma.

Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal that mesenchymal neuroblastoma cells are linked to worse survival outcomes in patients.

• Why it matters: Understanding cellular heterogeneity in neuroblastoma is crucial for improving diagnosis and treatment, especially since mesenchymal cells are difficult to identify in tumors.
• What they did: The study analyzed 54 neuroblastoma tumors using single-cell and spatial omics techniques, developing ADRN/MES signatures from patient-derived xenografts to identify MES cells.
• The result: High MES gene expression was found to correlate with poorer event-free and overall survival, providing a framework for defining clinically relevant neuroblastoma cell states.