Unravelling Prostate Cancer: Integrating Spatial Transcriptomics and 3D Imaging
To Know
About this Class
Prostate cancer exhibits significant intratumoral heterogeneity, driving a spectrum of phenotypes ranging from indolent disease to aggressive metastasis, challenging risk stratification and treatment. A key feature of this heterogeneity is clonal diversity, encompassing both cancer cells and their interactions with the surrounding stromal microenvironment. Understanding clonal dynamics and stromal influences on tumour progression is crucial for identifying factors that contribute to metastasis and disease lethality, ultimately improving risk stratification and therapeutic strategies.
Leveraging spatial transcriptomics, we have identified clonal subtypes across biopsy, primary and metastatic tissues, revealing distinct clonal relationships and polyclonal lymph node colonisation at different evolutionary stages. These detailed molecular maps are complemented by spatial profiling of the tumour microenvironment to understand how stromal context influences tumour behaviour.
To overcome the limitations of 2D histopathology, we are developing 3D imaging approaches using open-top light-sheet (OTLS) microscopy, enabling full-volume visualisation of glandular architecture, vasculature, and cellular organisation. Together, these complementary approaches provide insights into tumour heterogeneity and metastatic potential. By integrating molecular and structural data into a unified 3D framework, we aim to refine biomarker discovery and support more accurate clinical decision-making.