Immune-infiltrating signature-based classification reveals CD103(+)CD39(+) T cells associate with colorectal cancer prognosis and response to immunotherapy

BackgroundCurrent stratification systems for tumor prognostic prediction and immunotherapeutic efficacy evaluation are less satisfying in colorectal cancer (CRC). As infiltrating immune cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) played a key role in tumor progression and responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, we want to construct an immune-related scoring system with detailed immune profiles to stratify CRC patients. MethodsWe developed a scoring system based on immune-related signatures and validated its ability to predict prognosis and immunotherapeutic outcomes in CRC. CD45(+) cells from CRC patients were sorted to investigate detailed immune profiles of the stratification system using mass cytometry. A single-cell RNA sequencing dataset was used to analyze transcriptomic profiles. ResultsWe constructed an immune-related signature score (IRScore) based on 54 recurrence-free survival (RFS)-related immune signatures to stratify CRC patients. We revealed that IRScore was positively correlated with RFS and favorable outcomes in ICB treatment. Moreover, we depicted a detailed immune profile in TME using mass cytometry and identified that CD103(+)CD39(+) T cells, characterized by an exhaustive, cytotoxic and proliferative phenotype, were enriched in CRC patients with high IRScore. As a beneficial immune signature, CD103(+)CD39(+) T cells could predict prognosis and responses to ICB therapy in CRC. ConclusionsAll the analyses above revealed that IRScore could be a valuable tool for predicting prognosis and facilitating the development of new therapeutic strategies in CRC, and CD103(+)CD39(+) T cells were one of defined immune signatures in IRScore, which might be a key factor for antitumor immunity.