Background: Ovarian cancers (OC) and cervical cancers (CC) have poor survival rates. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a pivotal role in prognosis, but shared immune mechanisms remain elusive.
Methods: We integrated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) to explore immune regulation in OC and CC, focusing on the PI3K/AKT pathway and FLT3 as key modulators. Seurat and Harmony were employed for batch correction and dimensionality reduction. FLT3 expression was mapped with spatial data from 10 × Genomics.
Results: FLT3, identified as a regulator through the PI3K/AKT pathway, showed positive correlations with T cells, NK cells, and B cells. FLT3-high regions exhibited increased immune infiltration, particularly in CC, enhancing survival outcomes.
Conclusion: This study provides the first spatially resolved evidence of FLT3's immune-modulatory role in OC and CC, positioning it as a promising immunotherapeutic target. FLT3-targeted strategies may offer new options for patients resistant to conventional therapies.
Keywords: Cervical cancer; FLT3; Ovarian cancer; PI3K/AKT pathway; Spatial transcriptomics; Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).
© 2025. The Author(s).