Single-cell analysis of tumor microenvironment and cell adhesion reveals that interleukin-1 beta promotes cancer cell proliferation in breast cancer.

BACKGROUNDTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is so called because of the lack of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptors on the cancer cells, accounts for 10%-15% of all breast cancers. The heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment is high. However, the role of plasma cells controlling the tumor migration progression in TNBC is still not fully understood.

METHODSWe analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data from five HER2 positive, 12 ER positive/PR positive, and nine TNBC samples. The potential targets were validated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSPlasma cells were enriched in TNBC samples, which was consistent with validation using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cell communication analysis revealed that plasma cells interact with T cells through the intercellular adhesion molecule 2-integrin-aLb2 complex, and then release interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), as verified by immunohistochemistry, ultimately promoting tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONOur results revealed the role of plasma cells in TNBC and identified IL1B as a new prognostic marker for TNBC.