Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm Cellular Plasticity is Linked with Repeat Element Dysregulation

Abstract

Background: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are preinvasive pancreatic lesions with a spectrum of histologic phenotypes and variable risk in progressing to invasive cancer. Aberrant repetitive element expression has been shown to be functionally linked to cell state changes in pancreatic cancer.

Objective: This study utilized spatial transcriptomics with customized repeat element probes to better understand the relationship of histologic subtypes, repeat element dysregulation, and molecular profiles of different cell populations in IPMN.

Design: A total of 52 lesions from 18 patients with resected IPMNs of different histologies and degrees of dysplasia were analyzed with whole transcriptome spatial analysis (GeoMx). Of these, 50 lesions from 17 patients were also processed for single-cell spatial molecular imaging (CosMx). Repeat element probes for LINE1, HSATII, HERVK, and HERVH were used for GeoMx and CosMx.

Results: Pancreaticobiliary-type IPMN was enriched for basal-like epithelium and infiltration of Treg cells. Intestinal-type IPMN was enriched for classical epithelium and macrophage infiltrates. Gastric-type IPMN was found to have equal basal-like and classical epithelium with a diverse immune infiltrate. Repeat RNAs were expressed at high levels across IPMN phenotypes and enriched in high-grade dysplasia. Single-cell transcriptional trajectory analysis revealed a phylogeny starting from gastric toward intestinal and pancreaticobiliary branches associated with higher-grade dysplasia and repeat RNA expression.

Conclusion: Spatial transcriptomics of IPMN identified a molecular continuum between histological subtypes supporting a common gastric-type origin that transitions to intestinal and pancreatobiliary phenotypes. This cell state plasticity is linked with repeat element expression that can be a potential biomarker for IPMN progression.

What is already known on this topic: Molecular characterization of IPMN subtypes using regional spatial transcriptomics has described the differences between histologiesRepeat element expression is associated with cell state changes in pancreatic ductal neoplasm.

What this study adds: Single cell spatial molecular imaging of IPMN subtypes reveals a cellular and molecular continuum starting from gastric histology with distinct branches to Intestinal and pancreatobiliary subtypesRepeat element expression is associated with higher grade IPMN histologyRepeat element expression is elevated in the histologic and molecular continuum from gastric to intestinal and pancreatobiliary-type IPMN.

How this study might affect research practice or policy: These results support a common gastric histology origin of IPMN subtypes with different molecular trajectories towards higher grade diseaseOur findings suggest that repeat RNA expression can be used in conjunction with other transcriptional markers of cell state as a biomarker for IPMN progression.