journal article·2026-01Open access

Integrative Multi‐Omics Analysis Uncovers Immunological Phenotypes Predictive of Combinatorial Immunotherapy Response in Gastric Cancer

Jianchao Wang, Wenfang Zhang, Jiyang Zhang, Chenhui Zhao, Wei Zhang, Menghan Fang, Fangfang Chen, Zhida Wu, Xiaoya Xu, Ziqing Yu, Qiong Zhu, Yi Shi, Dadong Zhang, Xiaofeng Chen, Gang Chen

Advanced Science· Volume 13· Issue 6

Abstract

Abstract Current understanding of immune characteristics in gastric cancer remains limited for guiding clinical practice, particularly immunotherapy. This study aims to elucidate the multidimensional landscape of tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer, identify predictive biomarkers potentially associated with favorable immunotherapy response, and propose a precision stratification framework to inform therapeutic strategies. This study introduces a novel immune classification system tumor immune microenvironment (TIME)‐inflamed, TIME‐desert, and TIME‐excluded), and characterize the cellular and molecular characteristics of each subtype. TIME‐inflamed tumors exhibit significantly higher infiltration of immune cells in tumor regions, as well as increased expression of inflamed‐genes. TIME‐desert tumors display minimal immune cell infiltration and feature abnormal microvasculature. TIME‐excluded subtype is defined by immune cell accumulation outside the tumor with ineffective intratumoral infiltration, prominent fibroblast activity, and collagen deposition. Application of this immune classification system to stratify gastric cancer within the SPACE cohort successfully demonstrates potential for predicting favorable outcomes of a subset of “cold tumor” patients upon receiving combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy. The findings contribute to advancing the classification of gastric cancer from traditional histopathological subtyping to functional immunological subtyping, providing a valuable scientific foundation for precise patient stratification and the development of individualized immunotherapy strategies in clinical practice.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers · Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis · Immune cells in cancer

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Pathology Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University Fujian Cancer Hospital Fuzhou 350014 China

Department of Pathology The School of Basic Medical Sciences Fujian Medical University Fuzhou 350122 China

Department of Clinical and Translational Research 3D Medicines Inc. Shanghai 201114 China

Department of Oncology The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital) Nanjing 210029 China

Department of Molecular Pathology Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University Fujian Cancer Hospital Fuzhou 350014 China

Gastric Cancer Center The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital) Nanjing 210029 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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