Work

A Conserved Fibroblast-Myeloid Gene Signature in Digestive Cancers: Multi-Omics Integration Identifies DCN, COL10A1, CTHRC1, and TREM2 as Candidate Microenvironmental Markers

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Digestive cancers exhibit high heterogeneity and poor prognosis, yet whether their tumor microenvironments share conserved stromal–immune interactions remains unclear. Here, we performed an integrative multi-omics analysis across seven digestive cancer types and identified a conserved four-gene signature—DCN, COL10A1, CTHRC1, and TREM2—that is consistently enriched in matrix cancer-associated fibroblasts (mCAFs) and myeloid cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that DCN, COL10A1, and CTHRC1 are predominantly expressed in mCAFs, while TREM2 is enriched in myeloid cells and, to a lesser extent, in antigen-presenting CAFs(apCAFs). Cell–cell communication analysis consistently identified a fibroblast-to-myeloid signaling network centered on ECM-CD44 interactions across all examined cancer types, providing a candidate framework for intercellular crosstalk. Multi-omics profiling further characterized the genomic, epigenetic, and immune correlates of this signature. Collectively, these findings identify a conserved stromal–myeloid gene signature across digestive cancers and provide a candidate gene set for future diagnostic and therapeutic exploration.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms27073208

Authors: Changyi Li, Yimu Yang, Wenxia Zhang, Haili Wang, Yingle Liu, Qi Zhang

Institutions: Wuhan University, State Key Laboratory of Virology

Language: English

Topic: Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499