Tumor cell phenotype and heterogeneity differences in IDH1 mutant vs wild-type gliomas

Abstract

Glioma is recognized to be a highly heterogeneous CNS malignancy, whose diverse cellular composition and cellular interactions have not been well characterized. To gain new clinical- and biological-insights into the genetically-bifurcated IDH1 mutant (mt) vs wildtype (wt) forms of glioma, we integrated multiplexed immunofluorescence single cell data for 43 protein markers across cancer hallmarks, in addition to cell spatial metrics, genomic sequencing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantitative features. Molecular and spatial heterogeneity scores for angiogenesis and cell invasion differ between IDHmt and wt gliomas irrespective of prior treatment and tumor grade; these differences also persisted in the MR imaging features of peritumoral edema and contrast enhancement volumes. Longer overall survival for IDH1mt glioma patients may reflect generalized altered cellular, molecular, spatial heterogeneity which manifest in discernable radiological manifestations.