A cellular atlas of the preinvasive breast cancer microenvironment.

Single-cell and spatial profiling of estrogen-receptor positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from 159 patients identifies 9 cell types and 60 cell states, revealing immunosuppressive and stromal remodeling around DCIS.

• Why it matters: DCIS is common, but the cellular composition and early tumor microenvironment changes that enable preinvasive growth are not well defined.
• What they did: Fresh normal, DCIS, and invasive breast samples were profiled with single-cell RNA sequencing of 854,911 cells from 159 patients and spatial transcriptomics on 39 samples.
• The result: Fibroblasts, vascular and basal cells encircling DCIS regions are remodeled, and immunosuppressive ducts are linked to preinvasive cancer cell growth, with many alterations persisting into invasive progression.

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