Guo W.Luan J.Huang X.Leon D.Gang S.Nicholson B.Bertacchi B.Bolotin D.Lingen M.W.Pearson A.T.Izumchenko E.Rosenberg A.J.Agrawal N.Vokes E.E.Punyawatthananukool S.Narumiya S.Gunzer M.Ballesteros I.Hidalgo A.Miao Y.Mahidol University2025-12-172025-12-172025-01-01Cancer Cell (2025)15356108https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/113556The heterogeneous nature of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) has been recognized, but how different cell states of TANs emerge, evolve, distribute, and impact cancer immunotherapy efficacy remain elusive. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and genetic manipulations, we show that anti-PDL1 + CD40 agonist immunotherapy can induce interferon responses in TANs, allowing them to regain anti-tumor activities in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In contrast, TANs residing at the tumor-stroma interface can preserve their immune-suppressive state. Importantly, we identify a group of SOX2^High tumor-initiating stem cells (tSCs) at the tumor-stroma interface that upregulate fatty acid desaturase 1 (Fads1) to produce arachidonic acid (AA). This tSC-specific pathway enhances the prostaglandin E<inf>2</inf> (PGE<inf>2</inf>) signaling in TANs, which can disrupt the interferon response and prevent the interferon-induced anti-tumor functions in TANs. By fine-tuning the plasticity of neutrophils, tSCs shape neutrophil heterogeneity and sculpt a protective micro-niche to survive from immunotherapy and drive cancer relapse.Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1016/j.ccell.2025.11.0012-s2.0-1050243139121878368641349542