The Spatial Context of Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells Associates with Improved Ovarian Cancer Survival

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic malignancy. Multi-omics techniques have provided a platform for improved predictive modeling of therapy response and patient outcomes. While high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSOC) tumors are immunogenic and numerous studies have defined positive correlation to immune cell infiltration, immunotherapies in clinical trials have exhibited low efficacy rates. There is a significant need to better comprehend the role and composition of immune cells in mediating ovarian cancer therapeutic response and progression. We performed multiplex IHC with an HGSOC tissue microarray (n = 127) to characterize the immune cell composition within tumors. After analyzing the composition and spatial context of T cells (CD4/CD8), macrophages (CD68), and B cells (CD19) within the tumor, we found that increased B-cell and CD4 T-cell presence correlated with overall survival. More importantly, we observed that the proximity between tumor-associated macrophages and B cells or CD4 T cells significantly correlated with overall survival.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2021
Source ID
10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0411

Entities

People

  • Benjamin G Bitler
  • Benjamin Steinhart
  • Jaidev Bapat
  • Julia Wrobel
  • Kimberly R Jordan
  • Lindsay W. Brubaker
  • Miriam D. Post

Organizations

  • American Cancer Society
  • Anschutz Medical Campus
  • National Institutes of Health
  • United States Department of Defense
  • University of Colorado
  • University of Colorado Cancer Center

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Gulf War Illness and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans.
  • Oncology
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology - Cancer Biotech