Single-cell spatial multiomics identifies POSTN + CAFs mediating chemoradiotherapy resistance in rectal cancer

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Abstract Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is standard for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), yet many patients retain residual disease. To resolve CRT-associated remodeling of the tumor microenvironment, we generated a multimodal spatial atlas from serial sections of paired pretreatment and post-treatment specimens from 24 patients using Xenium single-cell spatial transcriptomics and PhenoCycler multiplex proteomics, profiling 2.8 million cells; matched Visium HD datasets were generated on adjacent serial sections. Resistance was most strongly associated with fibroblast and myeloid programs adjacent to residual tumor. We identify a periostin ( POSTN )-expressing CAF subset selectively enriched around residual tumor cells in non-responders, displaying a myofibroblastic phenotype and activating extracellular matrix remodeling, noncanonical WNT signaling, and immunosuppressive pathways. Tumor cells neighboring POSTN + CAFs show consistent epithelial–mesenchymal transition signatures. Together, this atlas enables interrogation of CRT-induced spatial remodeling and nominates POSTN + CAFs as key mediators and targets of CRT resistance, with direct relevance to CRT-based combination strategies.

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