Immune contexture defined by single cell technology for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy guidance in cancer

Tumor immune microenvironment is closely related to tumor initiation, prognosis, and response to immunotherapy. The immune landscapes, number of infiltrating immune cells, and the localization of lymphocytes in the tumor vary in across different types of tumors. The immune contexture in cancer, which is determined by the density, composition, functional state and organization of the leukocyte infiltrate of the tumor, can yield information relevant to the prediction of treatment response and patients’ prognosis. Better understanding of the immune atlas in human tumors have been achieved with the development and application of single-cell analysis technology, which has provided a reference for prognosis, and insights on new targets for immunotherapy. In this review, we summarized the different characteristics of immune contexture in cancer defined by a variety of single-cell techniques, which have enhanced our understanding on the pathophysiology of the tumor microenvironment. We believe that there are much more to be uncovered in this rapidly developing field of medicine, and they will predict the prognosis of cancer patients and guide the rational design of immunotherapies for success in cancer eradication.