Spatial organization of the tumor-immune microenvironment in ER-positive breast cancer: remodeling during treatment and associations with clinical response

Background The tumor microenvironment influences treatment response in ER-positive breast cancer, but what distinguishes responders from non-responders and how it changes during treatment is poorly understood. Methods ER-positive breast tumors treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab were profiled with bulk proteomics pre- (n = 95), on- (n = 84) and post-treatment (n = 100). A subset of tumors was profiled with spatial single-cell proteomics pre- (n = 13) and on-treatment (n = 11). Cell phenotypes, spatial location and activation states were determined, and cellular colocalization assessed with spatial metrics. Bulk and spatial features were evaluated against treatment response defined by residual cancer burden. Results Treatment with bevacizumab amplified chemotherapy effects on proteomic signaling. The immune contexture shifted from suppressive to supportive during treatment through decreased macrophage, regulatory and anergic T-cell density and increased colocalization between epithelial cells and CD8+, CD4+ T-cells and dendritic cells. At baseline, responders had high density of effector memory T-cells, while non-responders had more naive T-cells. In addition, responders had increased colocalization of epithelial cells with macrophages, and effector memory T-cells with M1-like macrophages compared to non-responders. Conclusions Spatially distinct tumor-immune microenvironments influence response to neoadjuvant treatment, offering valuable insights for guiding treatment decisions.