Multi-cellular phenotypic dynamics during the progression of an immunocompetent breast cancer model

The breast tumor microenvironment (TME) has recently been profiled at high resolution by performing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) on patient samples. However, from patients' samples, analyzing the temporal dynamics of the TME is ethically, practically and scientifically challenging. Revealing these dynamics could structure inter-tumor heterogeneity into a temporally ordered sequence of causes and consequences in cellular events. Here, we survey the dynamics of the TME by performing scRNAseq at different time points of the progression of a mouse breast tumor allograft model driven by the PyMT antigen. We find that multi-cellular phenotypic dynamics follow one of three possible temporal patterns: stable colonization, wave-like, or progressive increase. In particular, IFN-responsive cancer cells, <i>GzmB</i>+ cytotoxic T cells, as well as C1q macrophages, increase in parallel with tumor progression. These findings establish the single-cell types and phenotypes in a progressing breast tumor, and reveal when these cellular players enter and leave the TME.