Spatial transcriptomics reveals tumor niche heterogeneity in advanced gastric cancer and suggests a tumor-promoting role for KRT6B

Figure 3 Spatial functional profiling of distinct niches in advanced gastric cancer. A: Spatial distribution of niches N5, N4, and N2 in P2 (red shading with outlined boundaries), showing a continuous distribution from the mucosa to the submucosa and muscularis propria; B: Violin plots showing expression of canonical tumor epithelial markers (EPCAM, KRT18, KRT8, and KRT19) across niches in P2 (red) and P4 (blue); C: Four gene-expression trends identified by Mfuzz based on expression profiles across N5, N4, and N2; D and E: Top enriched Gene Ontology biological process terms for Trend 3 and Trend 4. Dot size represents the number of input genes, and color indicates the adjusted P value; F: Violin plots showing expression of immune-related genes (CD8A, CD4, and CXCL9) in N2, N4, and N5; G: Violin plots showing expression of stemness-associated genes (CD44, ALDH1A1, PROM1, LGR5, and SOX9) in N2, N4, and N5. Statistical significance: ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001.