Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: We present a spatial transcriptomic atlas of 19 pediatric brain tumor patients spanning nine major and rare diagnoses, including seven relapses, revealing their spatial cellular and molecular organization. Each tumor section resolves into 2 - 4 recurrent spatial archetypes across 11 biological themes, with some mirroring developmental lineage patterns - for example, oligodendrocyte-lineage programs in pilocytic astrocytomas. Spatially inferred copy-number analysis identifies relapse-associated putative clones. In one rare embryonal tumor, spatial niches in the primary tumor harboring putative clones colocalized with an archetype enriched for nervous system development and glioblast-lineage programs. In one ependymoma and one pilocytic astrocytoma, relapse-associated putative clones preferentially localized to the vasculature, suggesting regrowth during relapse may be seeded by clonal selection of residual tumor cells within specialized microenvironmental niches. This resource provides an open-access spatially resolved map via an interactive viewer to inform research on pediatric brain tumor ecosystems, relapse biology, and therapeutic strategies.
Authors: Javier Escudero Morlanes, Timo-Pekka Lehto, Ludvig Larsson, Leire Alonso Galicia, Annelie Mollbrink, Alia Shamikh, Elisa Basmaci, Gabriela Prochazka, Teresita Díaz De Ståhl, Johanna Sandgren, Fulya Taylan, Bianca Tesi, Ann Nordgren, Andrew Erickson, Alastair D Lamb, Klas Blomgren, Monica Nistér, Joakim Lundeberg, Reza Mirzazadeh, Linda Kvastad
Institutions: Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Guy's Hospital, Queen Mary University of London, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Cancer Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204234166