Single-cell genomic analysis of gastrointestinal cancer

Our study aimed to define the heterogeneity of gastrointestinal cancers at a single-cell resolution. We subjected single-cell suspensions derived from surgical resections of gastrointestinal cancer tissue, paired normal tissue, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or their ex vivo cultures to high-throughput microfluidics based single-cell RNA and DNA sequencing. We analyzed the features of the tumor microenvironment including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, macrophages and lymphocytes to determine their contribution to tumor growth and progression. We also characterized the mechanisms of immunosuppression in these tumors. This analysis led to novel insights into the biology of the microenvironment and also enabled the identification of new treatment targets.