Spatial biology reveals altered macrophage states in immunosuppressed non-melanoma skin cancer

Spatial multi-omics profiling of non-melanoma skin cancers in immunosuppressed patients identified distinct macrophage polarization states that actively constrain adaptive immune responses within the tumor microenvironment. The study, published in Cell, maps the spatial organization of these immunosuppressive macrophage populations and demonstrates how they create immune-excluded niches that limit T-cell infiltration and antitumor activity. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the elevated skin cancer burden observed in transplant recipients and other immunosuppressed populations, and point toward macrophage-targeted therapeutic strategies.