METI: deep profiling of tumor ecosystems by integrating cell morphology and spatial transcriptomics
Recent advances in spatial transcriptomics (ST) have improved insights into the tumor microenvironment (TME), but many tools lack histological integration and rely on single-cell RNA sequencing. The Morphology-Enhanced Spatial Transcriptome Analysis Integrator (METI) addresses this by combining ST data, cell morphology, and gene signatures to map cancer and TME components, stratify cell types, and analyze cell co-localization. METI demonstrates robust and consistent performance in studies of various cancers, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular and cellular interactions in tumor tissues.
