A research team led by Prof. LI Hong from Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified consensus spatial niches arcoss pan-cancer and dissected their molecular characteristics and clinical implications.

Entitled “Pan-cancer analysis of spatial transcriptomics reveals heterogeneous tumor spatial microenvironment”, this study was published in Cell Reports Medicine on April 17^th, 2026.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, progression, invasion and metastasis. However, the structural composition and organizational principles of pan-cancer TME remain largely unknown, due to limited sample size and significant computational challenge.

This study defined 56 local cellular programs and 13 spatial niches at distinct scales, which represent consensus and fundamental spatial structural units across 12 cancer types.

Mechanistically, niche-related ligand-receptor interactions and cell type-specific differential expression are associated with niche organization. Clinically, multiple niches exhibit significant associations with patient prognosis and immunotherapy response. The macrophages plays dual roles in both pro- and anti- tumor activities associated with their spatial distributions.

The study provided deeper insights into cellular communication and the structural influences governing complex tumor ecosystems. It also highlighted the spatial distribution of macrophages represents a promising biomarker for clinical outcomes.

Pan-cancer spatial microenvironment: analysis strategy and result overview. (Image by Prof. LI Hong’s team)

Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102751

Scientific Contact:
Prof. LI Hong
Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Email: lihong01@sinh.ac.cn

Media Contact:
WANG Jin
Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Email: wangjin01@sinh.ac.cn