Advanced single-cell RNA sequencing in tumor immunology

Cancer immunotherapy is an innovative treatment approach that leverages the immune system to combat tumors, demonstrating significant therapeutic potential. In the past few years, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has made significant progress in the field of cancer immunotherapy, enabling us to understand the complexity of anti-tumor immune processes with unprecedented depth and precision, thereby facilitating the design of more effective immunotherapy strategies. This review aims to summarize the recent applications of advanced scRNA-seq technologies in tumor immunology. First, we outline the most representative scRNA-seq technologies with different technical principles, with a particular focus on single-cell T cell receptor sequencing. Next, we describe how scRNA-seq technology is applied to identify the cellular composition and phenotypes within the tumor microenvironment for the construction of immune cell atlas, and uncover key cell types and molecular mechanisms underlying treatment responses for developing novel immunotherapies. Finally, we address the current challenges and future prospects of scRNA-seq technology in tumor immunology.