A Comparative Review of Spatial Transcriptomics Methods with Focus on Gastrointestinal Cancer Research
10.52927/jdcr.2025.13.3.269
- Author:
Seon Yeong PARK
1
;
Yun Hak KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Convergence Medical Sciences, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea
- Publication Type:SPECIAL ISSUE (REVIEW ARTICLE)
- From:
Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
2025;13(3):269-287
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Spatial transcriptomics (STs) is uniquely suited to gastrointestinal (GI) oncology, where tumor biology is fundamentally governed by the spatial arrangement of epithelial, stromal, and immune compartments. GI malignancies frequently harbor sharply demarcated microenvironments―including invasive fronts, stromal barriers, crypt- and gland-associated niches, and immune-excluded regions―that cannot be adequately resolved by bulk or dissociative transcriptomic approaches. By preserving native tissue architecture, ST enables the quantitative mapping of region-specific transcriptional programs, spatially confined cellular phenotypes, and localized interaction networks that collectively drive tumor progression, immune evasion, and therapeutic responsiveness.In this review, we summarize the principal ST methodologies, evaluate their technical attributes in relation to the structural and biochemical features of GI tissues, and synthesize current applications across gastric, colorectal, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers. We further highlight how spatially anchored profiling has elucidated early neoplastic transformation, stromalimmune patterning, and microregional determinants of therapeutic resistance. These insights collectively underscore ST’s increasing relevance for advancing mechanistic understanding and translational research in GI oncology.
