PD-L1-linked spatial decoupling of tumour-immune interactions in EBV-positive DLBCL

EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive lymphoma enriched in elderly patients, in which PD-L1 genomic gains cooperate with viral signalling to promote immune escape. However, the spatial mechanisms by which PD-L1 reshapes the tumour microenvironment remain unresolved. Here, we integrate genomic profiling with spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, and single-cell RNA sequencing to resolve the tumour-immune architecture of EBV-positive DLBCL. PD-L1 gain tumours exhibit a striking decoupling of immune proximity and immune engagement: T cells accumulate in close proximity to tumour cells yet direct tumour-immune contact is largely absent. Tumour boundaries are