Bioinformatics Seminar
Time: 11AM
Venue: Davis Auditorium and Online
3 February 2026
This is a WEHI only event.Multi-modal analysis reveals new links between the tumour microenvironment and prostate cancer heterogeneity
William HutchisonWEHI Bioinformatics
Prostate cancer is a common and clinically heterogeneous disease; some patients live for many years without progression while others rapidly develop metastases. A growing body of evidence suggests that non-cancer cells in the prostate microenvironment shape tumour development and clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms driving these interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of non-cancer cells in shaping prostate cancer outcomes and explored the genomic and clinical factors associated with altered tumour microenvironment states. To this end, we constructed a single-cell RNA-seq atlas of the prostate using publicly available datasets. With this atlas as a reference, we deconvolved cell-type proportions from bulk RNA-seq prostate cancer samples, which include partially overlapping whole-genome sequencing, DNA methylation profiles, and rich clinical annotation. With these data assembled, we investigated the relationship between tumour genetics, microenvironmental composition and disease progression. We observed both known and novel changes in tumour microenvironment composition and activity associated with mutations in prostate cancer cells. Further, we defined cell types associated with altered patient prognosis and identified mechanisms that may underlie these relationships. Finally, we expanded upon the current view that high-grade prostate cancer forms an immune suppressive microenvironment by demonstrating that the anti-tumour action of CD8+ T cells is impaired in this context. Together, these findings offer new insights into the tumour microenvironment’s contribution to prostate cancer heterogeneity, and may inform the development of future prognostic models and therapeutic strategies.