Spatial Transcriptomics in Lung Cancer and Pulmonary Diseases: A Comprehensive Review
Da Hyun Kang, Yoonjoo Kim, Ji Hyeon Lee, Hangoo Kang, Chaeuk Chung
Abstract
Recent advancements in spatial transcriptomics (ST) have revolutionized our understanding of the lung's cellular organization and pathological alterations. By preserving the spatial distribution of gene expression, ST reveals localized immune niches, stromal-epithelial interactions, and disease-associated transcriptional "hotspots" that cannot be captured by conventional sequencing methods alone. In lung cancer, ST-based investigations have delineated distinct tumor microenvironments between tumor cores and invasive fronts, revealing prognostically significant gene signatures and identifying subpopulations with differential responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Similarly, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, ST has mapped the ecosystem, including immune cells, inflammatory mediators, and fibroblast subtypes, of discrete regions within diseased lung tissue, offering mechanistic insights into disease progression and tissue remodeling. In addition, a more recent ST study provides spatial information for where drugs act within tissues. This review highlights the emerging role of spatial transcriptomics in respiratory research, demonstrating its potential to refine disease classification, elucidate mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, and inform spatially guided personalized interventions in respiratory diseases.