title: Spatial Heterogeneity in the Tumor Microenvironment.
abstract: Recent developments in studies of tumor heterogeneity have provoked new thoughts on cancer management. There is a desperate need to understand influence of the tumor microenvironment on cancer development and evolution. Applying principles and quantitative methods from ecology can suggest novel solutions to fulfil this need. We discuss spatial heterogeneity as a fundamental biological feature of the microenvironment, which has been largely ignored. Histological samples can provide spatial context of diverse cell types coexisting within the microenvironment. Advanced computer-vision techniques have been developed for spatial mapping of cells in histological samples. This has enabled the applications of experimental and analytical tools from ecology to cancer research, generating system-level knowledge of microenvironmental spatial heterogeneity. We focus on studies of immune infiltrate and tumor resource distribution, and highlight statistical approaches for addressing the emerging challenges based on these new approaches.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evolution and Cancer and Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London; and Centre for Molecular Pathology, Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
authors.forename: Yinyin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*