Authors
Si Li, Jiyu Guo, Jianqun Ma, Jiaxin Yang, Zuxiang Wang, Gang Xu, Yun Yu, Kang Xu, Yueying Gao, Weiwei Zhou, Can Zhang, Qinghua Jiang, Xiaoyuan Wang, Hang Yin, Yongsheng Li
Published in
Gut. Sep 18, 2026. Epub Sep 18, 2026.
Abstract
Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade offers new therapeutic options for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, the underlying mechanisms and associated biomarkers that determine treatment response remain unclear.
We delineate the mechanisms underlying the response and resistance, and elucidate the immune features that enhance neoadjuvant PD-L1 blockade efficacy in ESCC.
Here, we characterise the cellular dynamics following neoadjuvant PD-L1 blockade via analysing the single-cell transcriptomes of 210 978 cells and spatial transcriptomes of 20 tissue sections.
We identify coordinated cellular programmes centred on CXCL13+ CD8+ exhausted T cells, TNFRSF9+ CD4+ regulatory T cells, atypical memory B cells and APOE+ macrophages, which coordinate the responses to neoadjuvant PD-L1 blockade at baseline. In post-treatment non-responder ESCCs, the cellular programmes exhibit an immunosuppressive phenotype, leading to the failure of therapeutic benefits. Furthermore, we reveal that lymphocyte activation gene 3 serves as a potential target and can potentiate the response via perturbation of the coordinated cellular programmes.
Overall, our findings unravel the coordinated cellular programmes associated with treatment response, providing insights for prioritising individualised immunotherapy strategies in ESCC.
ChiCTR2400083452.
PMID:
42760117
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Sep 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 16
- Comments 0