Spatiotemporal transcriptomics for tumour microenvironment remodelling in cancer progression and therapy

Background

Spatiotemporal transcriptomics (STT) integrates spatially resolved gene expression with temporal information derived from staged samples, paired treatment specimens, or computational inference, providing a framework for reconstructing tissue-level dynamics. In the tumour microenvironment (TME), STT extends static molecular and cellular maps by revealing how cellular neighbourhoods and functional niches are reorganised during tumour evolution. Main text: This review examines how STT characterises TME remodelling during malignant transformation, invasion, metastasis, ageing, and treatment response. We discuss strategies for resolving temporal dynamics, including stage-stratified sampling, paired or serial specimens, pseudotime and trajectory inference, and complementary intravital imaging. We further consider how spatiotemporal analyses can connect changes in cellular states, spatial organisation, and intercellular interactions with clinically relevant tumour phenotypes.