Digital spatial profiling of MC38 colon carcinoma following checkpoint inhibition

AACR 2024 -- Immunotherapy aims to bolster the immune response within the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, checkpoint inhibitors utilized in the treatment of colon carcinoma have demonstrated efficacy only in certain patients. Furthermore, elevated levels of pan-cytokeratin (PanCK) expression in tumors have shown an association with diminished survival rates among colon carcinoma patients. To develop more effective therapeutics, strategies that navigate the heterogeneous nature of the TME must be employed. The mouse MC38 colon carcinoma tumor model, known for its immunologically active characteristics and responsiveness to certain immunotherapies, is widely used in preclinical drug development. In this study, we used the GeoMx® DSP platform from NanoString Technologies to investigate the spatial expression profile of PanCK in MC38 tumors and analyze the impact that PanCK expression exerts on anti-PD-1-induced gene expression in tumor and immune cells.