Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have created the first comprehensive spatial atlas of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), specialized immune-cell hubs found within tumors. Led by Linghua Wang, the team used AI and spatial omics technologies to analyze 340 tumor samples from 12 cancer types.
The study found that a TLS’s maturation stage, cellular composition, and location within a tumor provide much stronger prognostic and immunotherapy-response information than simply determining whether TLSs are present. As TLSs mature, they become more organized and undergo significant immune, vascular, and stromal changes.
Researchers also developed an AI tool that analyzed more than 25,000 TLSs across 3,000 pathology images and generated a TLS composition score. This score outperformed conventional methods in predicting patient outcomes by assessing TLS quality and maturity. Future studies will validate the scoring system in clinical trials and explore ways to enhance TLS maturation to strengthen anti-tumor immunity.