Integrated Bulk and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals the C3–C3AR1 Axis as a Candidate Mediator of Coagulome-Immune Crosstalk in Osteosarcoma

Abstract

Background: Although the tumor coagulome interacts with the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in solid tumors, its role in osteosarcoma (OS) remains uncharacterized. This study aimed to delineate this transcriptomic interplay and identify potential prognostic targets. Methods: This study was performed with bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and clinical phenotype data. Bioinformatic approaches were employed at the transcriptomic level to investigate the impact of the tumor coagulome on the TME and prognosis in OS. We validated the above findings using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results: The activity of a coagulation-related transcriptional signature was found to correlate with the degree of malignancy in OS. Its activity score demonstrated predictive value for OS prognosis, with a maximum area under the curve (AUC) of 0.802. scRNA-seq analysis indicated that inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs) and APOE+ macrophages were predominantly enriched in the high coagulation score subgroup. Our data further suggest that iCAFs may facilitate the M2 polarization of APOE+ macrophages via the C3–C3AR1 axis, potentially contributing to poorer clinical outcomes in patients with OS. Conclusions: These findings imply that within a high coagulation-related transcriptional score group, the interaction between iCAFs and APOE+ macrophages, likely mediated by the C3–C3AR1 axis, could facilitate OS progression. Consequently, the C3–C3AR1 signaling pathway might represent a promising target for future therapeutic strategies and coagulome monitoring in OS.