ArticleBMC cancer2023
Tumor microenvironment characterization in colorectal cancer to identify prognostic and immunotherapy genes signature.
Article in BMC cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Single-cell analysis identifies dysregulated cell type-specific gene programs and intercellular crosstalk underlying colorectal cancer.NPJ precision oncology · 2026Article
- Digital Pathology and the AI-Based Quantification of the Tumor Microenvironment in Gastrointestinal Cancer: From Tumor Budding and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes to Tertiary Lymphoid Structures.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Molecular insights into ANPEP in gastric adenocarcinoma.Genetics and molecular biology · 2026Article
- Integrating MRI habitat heterogeneity and peritumoral radiomics into a nomogram for optimized risk stratification in locally advanced rectal cancer: a multicenter study.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Multi-omics profiling of sodium-overload (NECSO) programs identifies NEK8 as a central driver of colorectal cancer progression through single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Macrophages in Colorectal Cancer: from Normal Mucosa to Distant Metastasis: Beyond the M1/M2 Paradigm.Journal of Cancer · 2026Review
- Neuronal ALKAL2 and its ALK receptor contribute to the development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Targeting PAR-2-driven inflammatory pathways in colorectal cancer: mechanistic insights from atorvastatin and rosuvastatin treatment in cell line models.Translational cancer research · 2025Article
- Machine learning-based comprehensive analysis of m6A RNA methylation regulators in colorectal cancer: implications for prognosis, immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy response.Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) · 2025Article
- The C/EBPβ antagonist peptide lucicebtide (ST101) induces macrophage polarization toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype and enhances anti-tumor immune responses.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- The role of tumor-associated macrophages and PD-1/PD-L1 networking in colorectal cancer.Contemporary oncology (Poznan, Poland) · 2025Review
- Effect of colorectal cancer stem cells on the development and metastasis of colorectal cancer.World journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2024Review
- TRIM59 deficiency promotes M1 macrophage activation and inhibits colorectal cancer through the STAT1 signaling pathway.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Colorectal Cancer and Its Microenvironment: A Brief Review.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, progression, and therapeutic response in many cancers. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the role of TME in colorectal cancer (CRC) by generating a TMEscore based on gene expression.
methodsThe TME patterns of CRC datasets were investigated, and the TMEscores were calculated. An unsupervised clustering method was used to divide samples into clusters. The associations between TMEscores and clinical features, prognosis, immune score, gene mutations, and immune checkpoint inhibitors were analyzed. A TME signature was constructed using the TMEscore-related genes. The results were validated using external and clinical cohorts.
resultsThe TME pattern landscape was for CRC was examined using 960 samples, and then the TMEscore pattern of CRC datasets was evaluated. Two TMEscore clusters were identified, and the high TMEscore cluster was associated with early-stage CRC and better prognosis in patients with CRC when compared with the low TMEscore clusters. The high TMEscore cluster indicated elevated tumor cell scores and tumor gene mutation burden, and decreased tumor purity, when compared with the low TMEscore cluster. Patients with high TMEscore were more likely to respond to immune checkpoint therapy than those with low TMEscore. A TME signature was constructed using the TMEscore-related genes superimposing the results of two machine learning methods (LASSO and XGBoost algorithms), and a TMEscore-related four-gene signature was established, which had a high predictive value for discriminating patients from different TMEscore clusters. The prognostic value of the TMEscore was validated in two independent cohorts, and the expression of TME signature genes was verified in four external cohorts and clinical samples.
conclusionOur study provides a comprehensive description of TME characteristics in CRC and demonstrates that the TMEscore is a reliable prognostic biomarker and predictive indicator for patients with CRC undergoing immunotherapy.
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