Lunch Symposium Miltenyi Biotec

Dr. Katrin Schönborn PhD, Global Product Manager for Spatial Biology,  Miltenyi Biotec

Using the MACSima™ Platform with its advanced RNAsky® assay for same-section spatial multiomics, we comprehensively mapped cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) heterogeneity in colorectal cancer (CRC) through integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. While CAF subpopulations, such as inflammatory, antigen-presenting, and myofibroblastic CAFs, have been well-documented in cancers like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and breast cancer, our study reveals their presence and diversity in CRC as well. Additionally, we identified a novel CAF subtype, termed TinCAFs (T cell-inhibiting CAFs), marked by NECTIN2 expression that mediates T cell suppression and exhaustion in vitro. Our findings emphasize the complexity of CAF heterogeneity in CRC and demonstrate the power of the MACSima™ Platform in unveiling new insights into immune evasion and tumor progression, advancing immuno-oncology research through spatial biology.