Chinese researchers have unveiled two different response patterns of tumor-infiltrating B cells, with implications for the immunotherapy treatment of cancer, according to a research article published recently in the journal Science.

B cells have long been considered an important component of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte cells, although whether they play a positive or negative role in anti-tumor immunity remains highly controversial.

In this study, using comprehensive single-cell multiomic analyses of B cells across 20 cancer types, the researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection (SIII) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fudan University and Zhejiang University classified the responses of different tumor-infiltrating B cells in relation to different cancer types.

They found that different B cell responses were associated with different tumor immunities and prognosis outcomes.

In addition, through extensive analyses, the researchers determined the molecular features and the differentiation pathways of the atypical memory (AtM) B cells.

Zhang Xiaoming, professor with the SIII, said that the researchers did not expect to identify a negative role for AtM B cells within tumors, and this knowledge could open up new avenues for cancer immunotherapy by targeted dampening or depletion of AtM B cells.

The study deepens the understanding of the different functions of tumor-infiltrating B cells. It may offer new treatment options for cancer patients who do not respond well to existing immunotherapies, the research article noted.

With mechanistic insights and clinical validation, B-cell-targeted therapies may complement other types of immunotherapy in the near future.

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