Mapping of single-cell landscape of acral melanoma and analysis of molecular regulatory network of tumor microenvironment

Abstract

Melanoma is a type of skin malignant tumor with high invasiveness, high metastasis, and poor prognosis. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase. Among them, the subtype of acral melanoma (AM) is more common in Asian populations. AM has higher degree, low immunotherapy response rate. With the help of single-cell sequencing technology provides new technical means for tumor microenvironment research, so that we can more easily explore specific tumor types suitable immunotherapy targets. However, no complete single-cell level differentiation map exists for the AM tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we used AM related sample and used the 10x Genomics single-cell transcriptome platform to draw a specific single-cell map of AM, understand the cell composition of AM, and analyze the interaction and molecular regulation of AM TME. Nine cell types were identified, of which malignant cells accounted for the largest proportion, followed by fibroblasts. And the cell interaction network shows that malignant cells, macrophages, B cells, T cells and fibroblasts play important roles in AM TME. Our research provides systematic theoretical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of acral melanoma.