Spatial transcriptomics in cancer research: Opportunities and challenges
Zhihua Ou, Jianhua Yin, Liang Wu, Florent Ginhoux, Xin Jin
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies can be divided into two categories, depending on the strategies used to measure transcripts: imagingbased and sequencing-based technologies.Imaging-based ST technologies employ microscopy to detect transcripts using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).On the other hand, sequencing-based technologies use sequencing to capture the spatial expression patterns of genes.These sequencingbased technologies can be further divided into three types based on how spatial information is obtained: laser capture microdissection (LCM), in situ sequencing (ISS), and in situ barcoding. 1In this context, we aim to identify the opportunities and challenges of spatial transcriptomics in cancer research.