Cellular reprogramming during anti-PD-1 and chemotherapy treatment in early-stage primary hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Nature communications
Authors
Abstract

The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy varies among breast cancer subtypes and is particularly less effective in hormone receptor-positive (HR + ) breast cancers. Here, we analyze pre-, on-, and post-treatment biopsies from 20 female patients with stage II-III HR+ breast cancer who participated in a clinical trial of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with nab-paclitaxel and pembrolizumab. Through single-nucleus RNA and ATAC sequencing of these tumor biopsies, we identified gene expression metaprograms (MPs) associated with differential therapy responses. Here we show that favorable responders exhibit increased activity in pathways related to tumor state transition, T cell effector functions, and pro-inflammatory macrophage states. Unfavorable responders demonstrate increased tumor estrogen signaling and immunosuppressive tumor-immune interactions. In this work, we highlight the interplay between tumor and microenvironmental cells in treatment naïve and exposed HR+ breast cancers and reveal that pivotal shifts in tumor cell, macrophage, and T cell states may mediate response to chemo-immunotherapy.

Year of Publication
2025
Journal
Nature communications
Volume
16
Issue
1
Pages
10704
Date Published
11/2025
ISSN
2041-1723
DOI
10.1038/s41467-025-66659-y
PubMed ID
41315371
Links