Characterization of the tumor microenvironment and identification of spatially predictive biomarkers associated with beneficial neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) has become the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, 20-40% of patients with LARC show little to no response to nCRT. Thus, comprehensively understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME), which might influence therapeutic efficacy, and identifying robust predictive biomarkers is urgently needed. Pre-treatment tumor biopsy specimens from patients with LARC were evaluated in detail through digital spatial profiling (DSP), public RNA sequencing datasets, and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF). DSP analysis revealed distinct characteristics of the tumor stroma compared to the normal stroma and tumor compartments. We identified high levels of human leukocyte antigen-DR/major histocompatibility complex class II (HLA-DR/MHC-II) in the tumor compartment and B cells in the stroma as potential spatial predictors of nCRT efficacy in the Discovery cohort. Public datasets validated their predictive capacity for clinical outcomes. Using mIF in an independent nCRT cohort and/or the total cohort, we validated that a high density of HLA-DR/MHC-II+ cells in the tumor and CD20 + B cells in the stroma was associated with nCRT efficacy (all p ≤ 0.021). Spatial profiling successfully characterized the LARC TME and identified robust biomarkers with the potential to accurately predict nCRT response. These findings have important implications for individualized therapy.