Single-cell analysis reveals hypoxia-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

The role of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains unclear. Here, we generated a comprehensive atlas of the entire tumor microenvironment and delineated the multifaceted cell-cell interactions to decipher hypoxia-induced pro-tumor immune suppression. We discovered hypoxia is significantly associated with iCCA progression via the activation of HIF1A expression. Moreover, hypoxia-dependent PPARγ-mediated fatty acid oxidation in APOE⁺ TAMs promoted M2 macrophage polarization by activating the HIF1A-PPARG-CD36 axis. These polarized APOE⁺ TAMs recruited Treg cell infiltration via the CCL3-CCR5 pair to form an immunosuppressive microenvironment. APOE⁺ TAMs tended to co-localize spatially with Treg cells in the malignant tissue based on spatial transcriptome data and immunofluorescence analysis results. We identified tumor-reactive CXCL13⁺ CD8-PreTex with specific high expression of ENTPD1 and ITGAE, which acted as precursors of CD8-Tex and had higher cytotoxicity, lower exhaustion, and more vigorous proliferation. Consequently, CXCL13⁺ CD8-PreTex functioned as a positive regulator of antitumor immunity by expressing the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFNG and TNF, associated with a better survival outcome. Our study reveals the mechanisms involved in hypoxia-induced immunosuppression and suggests that targeting precursor-exhausted CXCL13⁺CD8⁺ T cells might provide a pratical immunotherapeutic approach.

Keywords: Hypoxia; Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; Precursor exhausted CD8 T cells; Tumor-associated macrophages; scRNA-seq.