First 3D tumor maps reveal unexpected complexity in breast, colon and pancreatic (NHI) cancer
- The Human Tumor Atlas Network publishes 3D maps of breast, colon and pancreas tumors.
- The research, based on biopsies from 2,000 patients, reveals the “tumor microenvironment.”
- These maps allow us to identify areas with different mutations and the potential to personalize treatments.
The essential: the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) has released the first three-dimensional maps of several tumors, an advance funded by the National Institutes of Health from the United States.
The atlas, published in Natureanalyzes biopsies from 2,000 patients and offers a detailed view of cancer development and its environment. This innovative technology allows detecting areas with different genetic mutations and cellular activity, which could guide personalized treatments to improve the effectiveness of the immunotherapy and other oncological therapies. This approach promises to redefine the way tumors are treated by identifying which areas may best respond to specific therapies.
Why it matters: Three-dimensional tumor atlas could revolutionize cancer treatment and accelerate the development of personalized therapies.
- Helps personalize therapies, optimizing immunotherapy in areas with high immune activity.
- Facilitates the analysis of drug resistance by observing the cellular reaction.
- Provides a solid foundation for advancing precision medicine in oncology.
The Human Tumor Atlas Network identifies “hot” and “cold regions” in tumors to optimize the use of immunotherapies (NHI)
The recent publication of the first three-dimensional (3D) maps of tumors of various types of canceramong them mama, colon y pancreas, marks a milestone in oncological research.
This initiative, developed by the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) and financed by the United States National Institutes of Health, represents an advance that could transform cancer treatments by providing precise and detailed information on the development and evolution of these tumors in time and space.
The creation of three-dimensional maps of tumors, which collects the findings in 12 scientific articles published in the journal Naturehas focused on analyzing the biopsy samples from 2,000 patients. This process not only offers a complete view of the tumor cells, but also of the microenvironment that surrounds them, including blood vessels and immune cellsas well as structural cells that interact with the tumor. These maps allow researchers visualize the exact locations of each cell type and understand how their functions influence the progression of cancer.
One of the key points is the role of the “tumor microenvironment”. This concept, although known for a decade, had never been described with the precision that three-dimensional plans allow today.
In the words of Li Dingresearcher at Washington State University: “The Three-dimensional visibility allows us to observe not only how each cell in the tumor microenvironment acts, but also how its behavior changes. in response to treatment or when the tumor spreads to other organs and produces metastasis.”
This technological advance will allow new, more effective treatments against cancer in the future (Htal Univ. NIÑO JESÚS)
This type of knowledge promises to directly impact the personalization of treatments. Being able to identify, for example, areas of a tumor with greater immune cell activity (the “hot regions”) suggests that these areas may respond better to immunotherapies, while the “cold regions,” with low immune activity, may require specific approaches. alternatives.
The challenge of tumor heterogeneity The ability to construct such a detailed atlas has brought with it a fundamental observation: the cancer heterogeneity. Contrary to the previous idea that tumors are homogeneous massesthree-dimensional maps have confirmed that each tumor is a highly complex structure with areas that present different genetic mutations. This means that the same tumor could require different treatments in each of its areas, given the diversity of its cellular characteristics.
An illustrative case is that of colorectal cancerin which it has been identified that different cellular mutations collaborate to form the tumor, a much more dynamic process than growth from a single mutated clone, as was believed. This could have enormous repercussions on personalized medicine, where the ideal treatment will require identifying and attacking the different mutations that coexist in the same tumor.
A technique that redefines personalized treatment The director of Biotechnology of the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Fernando Pelaezcompared this finding to “when the human genome was deciphered,” highlighting its potential impact on clinical practice.
3D maps expose the importance of the tumor microenvironment in the evolution and treatment of cancer (NHI)
With the ability to three-dimensionally map a tumor from a biopsy sample, doctors could gain insight into the structure and composition of an individual tumor, thus tailoring treatment in a specific and targeted manner for each patient.
In the case of breast cancerthe new maps show that Each type of breast tumor originates from specific cell types, which suggests that knowing the cellular origin of a tumor could be key to deciding the most effective treatment.
In addition to personalizing therapy, these three-dimensional cancer maps will allow us to analyze how tumors evolve and respond to treatments, which is particularly useful in cases of drug resistance.
He single cell analysis It makes it possible to observe how each cell behaves under the influence of a treatment, generating data that can be used to anticipate the evolution of the disease and adjust the therapy accordingly.
Tumor heterogeneity poses new challenges in the design of personalized treatments (NHI)
He HTAN project was launched in 2018 as part of the initiative Cancer Moonshotand since then has made great strides in creating these three-dimensional atlases. This work involves an interdisciplinary team of researchers using cutting-edge and complex technologies cellular analysis platforms to obtain data from each cell involved in a tumor and its surrounding microenvironments.
Thanks to this innovative approach, researchers have already identified that cancer cells tend to concentrate in the core of the tumor, while immune cells are located in its periphery, providing crucial information about how and where the body’s defenses act and how They are used by cancer.
This cellular arrangement, visible only through these new three-dimensional maps, has allowed us to better understand why certain regions of a tumor are more resistant to immunotherapy.
Tumor atlas technology allows the interaction between tumor and immune cells to be observed in real time (NHI)
While these findings are not yet available for immediate clinical applications, research around three-dimensional atlases is laying the foundation for a new era in personalized medicine. The implementation of these maps in medical practice could in the future allow doctors to quickly evaluate the structure and behavior of a specific tumor, thus determining the best treatment options for each patient.
As Peláez indicates, “Each cancer is different and knowing it with the degree of detail that the three-dimensional technique can offer will allow, in the future, to make the best decisions for the patient. through a treatment tailored to each tumor.” This represents a radical change compared to generalized approaches to oncological treatment, by proposing a system where therapies are much more specific and appropriate to the particularity of each case.
The HTAN project also invites us to reflect on the challenges posed by tumor heterogeneity and the interaction between different types of cells within the tumor. The identification of “hot” and “cold regions” in the same tumor is only one of the points that should be considered to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Furthermore, the possibility that different types of cells with diverse mutations are active in the same tumor raises questions about how to design treatments that address this diversity without compromising other vital functions of the body.
An unprecedented advance in oncology that facilitates the study of drug resistance in cancer therapies (Illustrative Image Infobae)
These advances are promising, but there is still a long way to go in fully understanding cancer and its effective treatment. In the words of Xiaoshun Helead author of one of the recent studies, “We know that the liver plays a fundamental role in brain recovery after cardiac arrest, but understanding the limits of your intervention is the next big challenge.”
In conclusion, three-dimensional cancer atlases represent one of the most important advances in contemporary oncology. By combining cutting-edge technology with a detailed view of cancer behavior and its microenvironment, researchers are building a platform that promises to redefine the way we deal with this disease and bring us a step closer to a future where treatments are as targeted and effective. as each patient needs.
