B cell–macrophage interactions in colorectal cancer: state coupling, spatiotemporal remodeling, and therapeutic implications
- 1Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Wenling, Affiliated Wenling Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University
- 2Department of Stomatology, Wenling Daxi Central Health Center
- 3Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan City People’s Hospital
Abstract
The immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by pronounced cellular-state and spatial heterogeneity. B cells and macrophages bridge adaptive and innate immunity, respectively, and engage in bidirectional regulation through antibodies and immune complexes, BAFF/APRIL signaling, cytokines, chemokines, and metabolic cues. These interactions are further shaped by tumor cells, stromal components, microorganisms, and other immune populations within the tumor microenvironment. From the perspective of B cell–macrophage state coupling, this review systematically summarizes the biological foundations and reciprocal communication mechanisms underlying their interactions, with particular emphasis on their dynamic remodeling across different disease stages, tertiary lymphoid structures, distinct spatial niches within tumors, and metastatic progression. We further evaluate how established therapies and emerging experimental interventions influence this cellular network. Current evidence suggests that specific B-cell and macrophage states may form distinct functional combinations within either immune-supportive or immunosuppressive ecosystems. However, direct causal evidence remains limited, and the reproducibility of these associations across independent patient cohorts has yet to be firmly established. Future studies should integrate single-cell sequencing, B-cell receptor clonotype tracking, spatial multi-omics, and functional perturbation approaches to move beyond cellular co-occurrence and computationally inferred communication toward direct validation of functional dependencies. Such efforts will also be essential for determining whether composite state–spatial signatures can improve patient stratification, therapeutic response prediction, and treatment decision-making.
Related
- Metabolic stress and macrophage efferocytosis in osteoarthritis: mechanisms and therapeutic implications
- Macrophage ferroptosis in diabetic foot ulcers: current evidence, mechanisms, and therapeutic implications
- Macrophage states and immunometabolic adaptation in peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer
- Signature Definition Shapes Associations Between Exenatide-Related Transcriptional Programs and Macrophage Senescence Scores in Colorectal Cancer
- Spatiotemporal Accumulation of Four Major Bioactive Compounds in Zanthoxylum nitidum Roots: Implications for Tissue-Specific Processing and Harvesting Strategies
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026cellmacrophage,
title = {{B cell–macrophage interactions in colorectal cancer: state coupling, spatiotemporal remodeling, and therapeutic implications}},
author = {Zhang Zhang and Yi Zhang and Jingjie Lin and Bohao Cheng},
journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.2023316},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.2023316/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - B cell–macrophage interactions in colorectal cancer: state coupling, spatiotemporal remodeling, and therapeutic implications
AU - Zhang Zhang
AU - Yi Zhang
AU - Jingjie Lin
AU - Bohao Cheng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.2023316
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.2023316/full
AB - The immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by pronounced cellular-state and spatial heterogeneity. B cells and macrophages bridge adaptive and innate immunity, respectively, and engage in bidirectional regulation through antibodies and immune complexes, BAFF/APRIL signaling, cytokines, chemokines, and metabolic cues. These interactions are further shaped by tumor cells, stromal components, microorganisms, and other immune populations within the tumor microenvironment. From the perspective of B cell–macrophage state coupling, this review systematically summarizes the biological foundations and reciprocal communication mechanisms underlying their interactions, with particular emphasis on their dynamic remodeling across different disease stages, tertiary lymphoid structures, distinct spatial niches within tumors, and metastatic progression. We further evaluate how established therapies and emerging experimental interventions influence this cellular network. Current evidence suggests that specific B-cell and macrophage states may form distinct functional combinations within either immune-supportive or immunosuppressive ecosystems. However, direct causal evidence remains limited, and the reproducibility of these associations across independent patient cohorts has yet to be firmly established. Future studies should integrate single-cell sequencing, B-cell receptor clonotype tracking, spatial multi-omics, and functional perturbation approaches to move beyond cellular co-occurrence and computationally inferred communication toward direct validation of functional dependencies. Such efforts will also be essential for determining whether composite state–spatial signatures can improve patient stratification, therapeutic response prediction, and treatment decision-making.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -