Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42034048›Full record

ArticleEBioMedicine2026

Spatially resolved T cell receptor diversity mapping uncovers variability of the cancer immune microenvironment.

Anastasia Magoulopoulou, Maria Chatzinikolaou, Andreas Metousis, Taobo Hu, Hui Yu, Ioannis Zerdes, Kang Wang, Theodoros Foukakis, Mengping Long, Karin Leandersson and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Anastasia MagoulopoulouScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anastasia.magoulopoulou@scilifelab.se.
Maria ChatzinikolaouScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Andreas MetousisScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.
Taobo HuScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hui YuDepartment of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Ioannis ZerdesDepartment of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Theme Cancer, Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kang WangDepartment of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Theodoros FoukakisDepartment of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Breast Cancer Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mengping LongScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Karin LeanderssonDepartment of Translational Medicine, Cancer Immunology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Patrick MickeDepartment of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Carina StrellDepartment of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: carina.strell@igp.uu.se.
Mats NilssonScience for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: mats.nilsson@scilifelab.se.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundT cell receptor (TCR) binding properties have been related to a wide range of pathological conditions, including infections, autoimmunity and cancer. Characterising the TCR repertoire is of great biomedical interest but it has been challenging due to its high structural diversity.

methodsIn situ sequencing (ISS) is a suitable technique for spatial cell typing and linking gene patterns directly to specific histopathological features of large biopsy areas. We applied ISS through the commercial Xenium platform, with the addition of a custom panel specifically designed for TCR gene detection. Based on the IMGT database, we selected unique target sequences for TCR genes encoding the constant, variable and joining TCR chains. Additionally, we developed an analysis pipeline for the assignment of putative clonotypes based on simultaneous expression of alpha and beta variable TCR chains (TCRVβ/Vα pairs) at the single-cell level.

findingsOur approach captured specific immune cell distributions in relation to the individual sample clonality, as well as regional dominance of certain TCRVβ/Vα pairs in surgical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens and matching lymph node samples. Furthermore, we were able to study the spatiotemporal evolution of TCR repertoire on longitudinal FFPE biopsies from patients with breast cancer, during neoadjuvant treatment.

interpretationThis study highlights the implementation of target-based spatially resolved transcriptomics for the spatial characterisation of TCRVβ/Vα pairs at the single-cell level, without the need for prior sequencing. Our approach allows for spatial immune characterisation of diagnostic tissue samples with emphasis on T cell biology and accompanying T cell diversity.

fundingThis study was supported from Cancerfonden (CAN 2021/1726), Swedish Research Council (Dnr: 2019-01238), U-CAN and the Trond Mohn Foundation.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsReceptors, Antigen, T-CellTumor MicroenvironmentFemaleGenetic VariationHumansReceptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-betaReceptors, Antigen, T-CellReceptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-betaBreast cancerIn situ sequencing(ISS)Non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)Spatially resolved transcriptomics(SRT)T cell receptor(TCR)TCR diversity

Identifiers

PMID42034048
PMCPMC13127328

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.