Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42642766›Full record

ArticleJournal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR2026

Tumor-infiltrating B cells evolve towards interferon-rich trajectories aligned with immunotherapy in melanoma.

Katie Stoker, Roman Laddach, Lucy Booth, Silvia Crescioli, Oscar Maiques, Rebecca Adams, Jitesh Chauhan, Alexander Stewart, Dinethri Patel, Amanda Fitzpatrick and 14 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

24 authors.

Katie Stoker *St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Roman Laddach *St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Lucy BoothSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Silvia CrescioliSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Oscar MaiquesBarts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
Rebecca AdamsSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Jitesh ChauhanSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Alexander StewartSchool of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
Dinethri PatelSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Amanda FitzpatrickSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Yin WuSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Jenny L C GehSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Omar SalemDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
Alastair D MacKenzie RossDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
Hawys Lloyd-HughesDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
Sean WhittakerSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Joseph NgRandall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Franca FraternaliRandall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
David KiplingSchool of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
Deborah K Dunn-WaltersFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK.
Katie E LacySt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Thomas J TullSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Sophia TsokaDepartment of Informatics, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, King's College London, Bush House, Strand Campus, London, WC2B 4BG, UK. sophia.tsoka@kcl.ac.uk.
Sophia N KaragiannisSt. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences &, KHP Centre for Translational Medicine, Guy's Hospital, King's College London, 9th Floor, Guy's Hospital, Tower Wing, London, SE1 9RT, UK. sophia.karagiannis@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4100-7810

Funding

British Skin Foundation 006/R/22CRUK City of London Centre Award C7893/A29290Guy's and St Thomas's Foundation Trust Charity Melanoma Special Fund 573Medical Research Council MR/L023091/1; MR/V049445/1); MR/R015643/1Royal Society IES\R2\222084Worldwide Cancer Research 24-0087
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundB cells are increasingly recognized regulators of antitumor immunity in melanoma, yet their differentiation states, lineage dynamics, spatial organization and integration within the immune microenvironment, and how these are influenced with immunotherapy remain incompletely defined.

methodsWe conducted deep profiling of tumor-resident B cell differentiation and evolutionary features in the melanoma tumor microenvironment using bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses, long-read antibody sequencing and mass cytometry (Cytometry by Time-Of-Flight, CyTOF). We characterized B cell differentiation trajectories, class-switching patterns, antibody isotype usage, signaling pathways, spatial niches against clinicopathological features and immune cell communication, before and after checkpoint blockade and in clinically defined responders and non-responders.

resultsMelanoma-infiltrating B cells were enriched across primary and metastatic lesions, were preferentially associated with immune-rich tumors and correlated with T and natural killer (NK) cell densities. Long-read immunoglobulin sequencing demonstrated recurrent class switch recombination (CSR) trajectories with predominant IgG and IgA isotype usage, confirmed by bulk transcriptomic analyses. Across independent single-cell and bulk transcriptomic datasets we identified conserved class-switching, B cell receptor (BCR) activation, and pseudotime analyses showed differentiation trajectories progressing from naïve and memory states toward interferon (IFN)-driven terminal differentiation trajectories that persisted before and after immunotherapy. CyTOF analyses independently confirmed proliferative, germinal center (GC)-like, memory and class-switched B cell subsets, suggesting conserved inflammatory differentiation endpoints. Spatial transcriptomic deconvolution identified IFN-rich B cells within tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). Following immunotherapy, B cells retained class-switched trajectories, displayed enriched GC-associated profiles, enhanced crosstalk with T cells and Dendritic Cells (DCs) and preserved or induced IFN-rich IgM + /IgD + or IgG4 + phenotypes, suggesting persistence or emergence of non-class switched and atypical class-switched isotype profiles. Transcriptomic analyses of B cells pointed to upregulated antigen-driven stimulation and BCR signaling, whereas in non-responders displayed IFN-rich B cells, IFN-associated genes, and IFN-pathway enrichment.

conclusionsMelanoma-infiltrating B cells follow class-switched differentiation trajectories culminating in IFN signaling, atypical antibody expressing states that persist or emerge after immunotherapy, aligning dynamic B cell evolution and atypical lineage traits with immunotherapy.

Indexed as

B-LymphocytesImmunotherapyInterferonsLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingMelanomaCell DifferentiationHumansTumor MicroenvironmentInterferonsAntibodiesB CellsBulk RNA-SeqCancer immunotherapyCheckpoint inhibitorsMelanomaSinge cell RNA-SeqSpatial Transcriptomics

Identifiers

PMID42642766
PMCPMC13505104

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