Review
Cell Biology
Lesly J. Bueno-Urquiza, Marcela G. Martinez-Barajas, Carlos E. Villegas-Mercado, Jonathan R. Garcia-Bernal, Ana L. Pereira-Suarez, Maribel Aguilar-Medina, Mercedes Bermudez
Summary: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a group of cancers originating from the mucosal epithelium in various areas of the head and neck. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of HNSCC. However, there is limited research on the participation of lncRNAs in shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their impact on immunotherapy efficacy.
Article
Oncology
Anne-Sophie Becker, Cornelius Kluge, Carsten Schofeld, Annette Helene Zimpfer, Bjorn Schneider, Daniel Strueder, Caterina Redwanz, Julika Ribbat-Idel, Christian Idel, Claudia Maletzki
Summary: In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), high expression of CMTM6 is associated with longer overall survival, regardless of treatment. CMTM6 is correlated with other immune markers, and patients with high expression of both CMTM6 and FOXP3 have the longest survival regardless of treatment. PD-L1 positivity is associated with longer progression-free survival, while lower levels of CTLA-4 and FOXP3 may be related to a good response to immunotherapy.
Article
Oncology
Ganping Wang, Ming Zhang, Maosheng Cheng, Xiaochen Wang, Kang Li, Jianwen Chen, Zhi Chen, Shuang Chen, Jie Chen, Gan Xiong, Xiuyun Xu, Cheng Wang, Demeng Chen
Summary: The tumor microenvironment is crucial for protecting tumor cells from treatment-induced death, but how specific signaling pathways affect the tumor microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remains unknown. Various components in the tumor microenvironment have been shown to play important roles in tumor progression and treatment resistance.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Zhaomeng Guo, Kang Li, Peng Liu, Xiangmin Zhang, Jie Lv, Xianhai Zeng, Peng Zhang
Summary: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) originates from different parts of the head and neck, and the causes and molecular basis can vary. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consisting of various cells and molecules is crucial for the survival and spread of cancer cells. Understanding the interaction between tumor cells and the TME is essential for developing effective anti-cancer therapies.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shaojie Li, Qiuji Wu, Jia Liu, Yahua Zhong
Summary: The study found that the m6A readers, YTHDF1 and IGF2BP2, were significantly associated with distinct immune status in HNSCC. Patients were divided into two clusters based on the expression of these genes, with cluster 1 showing high expression and cluster 2 showing low expression. Patients in cluster 1 had more advanced T stage and pathological grades. Cluster 1 was closely related to RNA modification, while cluster 2 was significantly correlated with immune regulations. Cluster 2 had a more active tumor immune microenvironment characterized by higher levels of CD8(+) T cells, CD4(+) T cells, and MHC I and II molecules. A protein-protein interaction network composed of 16 hub genes participating in the T-cell receptor signaling pathway was constructed. These findings were validated in an external dataset.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Qiwei Wang, Yinan Zhao, Fang Wang, Guolin Tan
Summary: This study identified hub genes significantly associated with immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) and activated CD8(+) T-cell gene signatures, and constructed a novel immune signature named IMS. The high IMS group showed significant immune activation, better prognosis, and increased immunotherapy responsiveness. IMS potentially represents a candidate biomarker for ICB. Moreover, a higher IMS was associated with metabolic reprogramming and cellular crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Kirsty Taylor, Jinfeng Zou, Marcos Magalhaes, Marc Oliva, Anna Spreafico, Aaron R. Hansen, Simon S. McDade, Vicky M. Coyle, Mark Lawler, Elena Elimova, Scott V. Bratman, Lillian L. Siu
Summary: Immune checkpoint blockade is an important treatment for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer, but only a subset of patients benefit from it. Monitoring plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels and changes during treatment can help assess disease burden and predict patient outcomes. This study showed that early changes in ctDNA after one cycle of treatment can predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Peng Shao, Wei-Wei Hu, Xin-lian Shi, Ming-yang Shu, Dong-Ya Li, Tingting Zhou, Qi-Tao Zhao
Summary: NK cells play a role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and the gene EZR is identified as being associated with prognosis and its impact on the immune microenvironment and drug sensitivity in HNSCC.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Shine-Gwo Shiah, Sung-Tau Chou, Jang-Yang Chang
Summary: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer arising from the oral epithelium, with high mortality rates despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Dysregulation of exosomes and metabolic abnormalities are involved in the development of HNSCC, suggesting potential therapeutic targets. MiRNAs play important roles in regulating HNSCC progression and may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment.
Review
Oncology
Nobuo Kondoh, Masako Mizuno-Kamiya
Summary: The malignant phenotypes of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are regulated by immune modulatory cytokines associated with tumor microenvironments (TMEs). Lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor in HNSCC. Targeting cytokines, chemokines, and signal molecules involved in immune evasion can be a therapeutic approach for HNSCC. The impact of HPV infection and serum cytokine levels on HNSCC prognosis are also discussed.
Article
Oncology
Eddy S. Yang, Eric Deutsch, Altan Mehmet, Jerome Fayette, Yungan Tao, Lisle Nabell, Sharon A. Spencer, Xuejing A. Wang, Elizabeth A. Spoljoric, Wei Zhang, Scott M. Hynes, Rodney L. Decker, Aimee K. Bence Lin, William N. William
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of combining prexasertib with cisplatin-radiotherapy or cetuximab-radiotherapy in treating HNSCC, and concluded that prexasertib could be safely combined with cetuximab-radiotherapy, although a safe dose for cisplatin-radiotherapy was not established.
RADIOTHERAPY AND ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Ruoyan Cao, Weilin Zhang, Hongjian Zhang, Lixuan Wang, Xijuan Chen, Xianyue Ren, Bin Cheng, Juan Xia
Summary: The peroxidase family of peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) plays a vital role in maintaining the intracellular balance of ROS in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The expression of PRDX1, PRDX4, and PRDX5 in HNSCC is increased, while the expression of PRDX2 is decreased. Higher expression of PRDX4/5/6 indicates poor prognosis, while lower expression of PRDX1/5 is associated with more immune cell infiltration, higher expression of immune-related molecules, and a likely response to anti-PD-1 treatment. Knockdown of PRDX5 inhibits HNSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, and promotes apoptosis through its antioxidant property. This study highlights the potential role of PRDXs, particularly PRDX5, in HNSCC and suggests it as a potential therapeutic target.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yaodong He, Yunshan Li, Junwei Xiang, Xu Huang, Mingyu Zhao, Yuanyin Wang, Ran Chen
Summary: Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and is associated with tumor growth, prognosis, and immune infiltration. TYK2 can serve as a novel biomarker for assessing the prognosis of HNSCC patients and aiding in immunotherapy against HNSCC.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Ana Belen Griso, Lucia Acero-Riaguas, Beatriz Castelo, Jose Luis Cebrian-Carretero, Ana Sastre-Perona
Summary: This review examines the mechanisms involved in the development of cisplatin resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and discusses potential strategies to overcome these complications. Classical resistance mechanisms and the prevalence of these mechanisms in the population of cancer stem cells (CSC) are highlighted. The influence of cell intrinsic and extrinsic cues, as well as the stromal composition and tumor microenvironment, on resistance and CSC characteristics are also discussed. Furthermore, the impact of epigenetic modifiers and signaling pathways on tumor behavior and cell plasticity in inducing chemotherapy resistance is explored.
Article
Cell Biology
Zi-Yi Feng, Hao-Yu Gao, Tian-Da Feng
Summary: This study aimed to explore the association between m(6)A-modified lncRNAs, immune infiltration, and PD-L1 expression in HNSCC patients, as well as the prognostic value of m(6)A RNA methylation-related lncRNAs. Through clustering analysis, two subtypes of HNSCC were identified, with certain clinicopathological features related to these subtypes. A risk signature including specific lncRNAs was identified and found to have prognostic value. Additionally, genomic alterations, PD-L1 mutations, and immune infiltration were further investigated using various analytical tools.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Ahmad A. Tarhini, Sandra J. Lee, Aik-Choon Tan, Issam M. El Naqa, F. Stephen Hodi, Lisa H. Butterfield, William A. LaFramboise, Walter J. Storkus, Arivarasan D. Karunamurthy, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Patrick Hwu, Howard Streicher, Vernon K. Sondak, John M. Kirkwood
Summary: Melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) has a significantly better prognosis and shows evidence of significantly enhanced immune activation within the tumor microenvironment and the circulation in high-risk melanoma patients.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samuel Coleman, Mengyu Xie, Ahmad A. Tarhini, Aik Choon Tan
Summary: Immunotherapy has made significant advancements in the treatment of melanoma, but there is still a need for predictive biomarkers to select patients for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. This study evaluated previously published predictive biomarkers based on gene expression signatures and found that biomarkers related to IFN-gamma-responsive genes, T and B cell markers, and chemokines in the tumor immune microenvironment can predict the response to ICIs. The study also showed that these biomarkers are more predictive in on-treatment samples compared to pretreatment samples in metastatic melanoma.
MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Cassandra A. Hathaway, Tianyi Wang, Mary K. Townsend, Christine Vinci, Danielle E. Jake-Schoffman, Daryoush Saeed-Vafa, Carlos Moran Segura, Jonathan V. Nguyen, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Brooke L. Fridley, Shelley S. Tworoger
Summary: This study found that early exposure to cigarette smoke may have a slight impact on the risk of developing ovarian cancer, as well as the systemic immunity and tumor immune response. However, no research has been conducted to evaluate the effects of cigarette smoke exposure on the ovarian tumor immune microenvironment.
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alexandra L. Martin, Chase Powell, Mate Z. Nagy, Patrick Innamarato, John Powers, Derek Nichols, Carmen M. Anadon, Ricardo A. Chaurio, Sungjune Kim, Min-hsuan Wang, Bing Gong, Xianzhe Wang, Thomas J. Scheutz, Scott J. Antonia, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Bradford A. Perez
Summary: Radiation therapy (RT) can enhance systemic anti-tumor effects by activating STING and promoting tumor antigen presentation and recognition by T cells. This study shows that the accumulation of B and CD4(+) T cells at tumor beds induced by RT is necessary for inhibiting tumor growth in non-irradiated tumors. RT also increases the expression of 4-1BB in T and B cells, and combining RT with anti-4-1BB therapy enhances immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Cassandra A. Hathaway, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Brooke L. Fridley, Bernard Rosner, Daryoush Saeed-Vafa, Carlos Moran Segura, Jonathan V. Nguyen, Jonathan L. Hecht, Naoko Sasamoto, Kathryn L. Terry, Shelley S. Tworoger, Mary K. Townsend
Summary: This study used multiplex immunofluorescence to measure immune markers in ovarian tumors and found high correlations between markers within the tumors. However, very old samples may have reduced antigenicity. These findings are important for studying immune infiltration in ovarian tumors.
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Katelyn F. Handley, Sumit Mehta, Alexandra L. Martin, Subir Biswas, Kamira Maharaj, Mate Z. Nagy, Jessica A. Mine, Carla Cortina, Xiaoqing Yu, Kimberly Sprenger, Gunjan Mandal, Patrick Innamarato, John J. Powers, Carly M. Harro, Ricardo A. Chaurio, Carmen M. Anadon, Mian M. Shahzad, Idhaliz Flores, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia
Summary: The study demonstrates that shared antibody responses in endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer can counteract malignant progression and have the potential for developing immunotherapies. Antibodies targeting tumor-promoting syndecan binding protein (SDCBP) show anti-tumor activity in mouse models of ovarian carcinoma. These findings suggest that utilizing tumor-derived antibodies may be a promising approach for future immunotherapies.
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Eric Y. Helm, Tomas Zelenka, Valeriu B. Cismasiu, Shamima Islam, Leonardo Silvane, Beatrice Zitti, Tim D. Holmes, Theodore T. Drashansky, Alexander J. Kwiatkowski, Christine Tao, Joseph Dean, Alyssa N. Obermayer, Xianghong Chen, Benjamin G. Keselowsky, Weizhou Zhang, Zhiguang Huo, Liang Zhou, Brian S. Sheridan, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Timothy I. Shaw, Yenan T. Bryceson, Dorina Avram
Summary: In this study, the role of the transcription factor Bcl11b in TRM cells was investigated during infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Conditional deletion of Bcl11b resulted in increased numbers of intestinal TRM cells, decreased splenic effector and circulating memory cells, and altered transcriptional programs in TRM cells with decreased expression of multipotent/multifunctional genes and upregulation of effector genes.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Roger Li, Wade J. Sexton, Jasreman Dhillon, Anders Berglund, Shreyas Naidu, Gustavo Borjas, Kyle Rose, Youngchul Kim, Xuefeng Wang, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Rohit K. Jain, Michael A. Poch, Philippe E. Spiess, Julio Pow-Sang, Scott M. Gilbert, Jingsong Zhang
Summary: Durvalumab monotherapy showed minimal efficacy in treating BCG-unresponsive carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the bladder, with a 6-month complete response rate of 12%. Complement activation may be a potential mechanism behind treatment resistance.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Subir Biswas, Gunjan Mandal, Carmen M. Anadon, Ricardo A. Chaurio, Luis U. Lopez-Bailon, Mate Z. Nagy, Jessica A. Mine, Kay Hanggi, Kimberly B. Sprenger, Patrick Innamarato, Carly M. Harro, John J. Powers, Joseph Johnson, Bin Fang, Mostafa Eysha, Xiaolin Nan, Roger Li, Bradford A. Perez, Tyler J. Curiel, Xiaoqing Yu, Paulo C. Rodriguez, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia
Summary: Dimeric IgA has the ability to target mutated oncodrivers within cells and inhibit tumor cell proliferation, showing great potential for the treatment of human cancers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mengyu Xie, Ritu Chaudhary, Robbert J. C. Slebos, Kyubum Lee, Feifei Song, Maria I. Poole, Dirk S. Hoening, Leenil C. Noel, Juan C. Hernandez-Prera, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Christine H. Chung, Aik Choon Tan
Summary: The immune landscape analysis of HNSCC revealed that the atypical and mesenchymal subtypes have greater immune enrichment and exhibit a T-cell exhaustion phenotype. Different B cell maturation and antibody isotypes enrichment patterns, as well as distinct immune microenvironment crosstalk, were also observed in these subtypes. Enhancing B cell activity may benefit patients with atypical HNSCC.
MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chandler D. Gatenbee, Ann-Marie Baker, Sandhya Prabhakaran, Ottilie Swinyard, Robbert J. C. Slebos, Gunjan Mandal, Eoghan Mulholland, Noemi Andor, Andriy Marusyk, Simon Leedham, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Christine H. Chung, Mark Robertson-Tessi, Trevor A. Graham, Alexander R. A. Anderson
Summary: Interest in spatial omics is growing, but generating highly multiplexed images is challenging due to various factors. A new software called VALIS has been developed to address these challenges by aligning whole slide images (WSI) and generating high-quality, spatially aligned datasets. VALIS provides state-of-the-art accuracy in WSI registration and 3D reconstruction, making it a valuable tool for spatial studies of tumor ecology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Min Hu, Samuel Coleman, Muhammad Zaki Hidayatullah Fadlullah, Daniel Spakowicz, Christine H. Chung, Aik Choon Tan
Summary: Patients with human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-negative HNSCC) have worse outcomes than HPV-positive HNSCC. In our study, we found that microbial signatures can distinguish Hypoxia/Immune phenotypes similar to gene expression signatures in molecularly classified tumor groups. Additionally, we identified three highly-correlated microbes that are crucial for immunotherapy response in immune processes. The co-abundance of these three microbes significantly affects the survival of patients in a molecularly heterogenous group.
Article
Oncology
Islam Eljilany, Payman Ghasemi Saghand, James Chen, Aakrosh Ratan, Martin McCarter, John Carpten, Howard Colman, Alexandra P. Ikeguchi, Igor Puzanov, Susanne Arnold, Michelle Churchman, Patrick Hwu, Jose Conejo-Garcia, William S. Dalton, George J. Weiner, Issam M. El Naqa, Ahmad A. Tarhini
Summary: In this study, the prognostic value of immunoscore calculated from real-world transcriptomic data was evaluated in patients with advanced malignancies treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The results demonstrated that the immunoscore could predict patients at risk of death, with better overall survival observed in patients with intermediate-high immunoscore.
Article
Hematology
Carly M. Harro, Kimberly B. Sprenger, Ricardo A. Chaurio, John J. Powers, Patrick Innamarato, Carmen M. Anadon, Yumeng Zhang, Subir Biswas, Gunjan Mandal, Jessica A. Mine, Carla Cortina, Mate Z. Nagy, Alexandra L. Martin, Katelyn F. Handley, Gustavo J. Borjas, Pei -Ling Chen, Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, Lubomir Sokol, Xiaoqin Yu, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia
Summary: This study reveals the pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) using single-cell sequencing techniques. The findings show that tumor cells in Se'zary syndrome and mycosis fungoides (MF) exhibit different phenotypes and differentiation trajectories. Additionally, it is discovered that Se'zary cells have narrower T-cell receptor repertoires and clonal enrichment compared to MF. Furthermore, mutations in key oncogenes are present in peripheral Se'zary cells, indicating recent thymic egression. The data suggest that CTCL originates from mutated lymphocyte progenitors and completes malignant transformation in the peripheral blood.
Article
Oncology
Ritu Chaudhary, Robbert J. C. Slebos, Leenil C. Noel, Feifei Song, Maria I. Poole, Dirk S. Hoening, Juan C. Hernandez-Prera, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Jose A. Guevara-Patino, Xuefeng Wang, Mengyu Xie, Aik Choon Tan, Christine H. Chung
Summary: In this study, the researchers classified tumors based on a Hypoxia-Immune signature, identified immunosuppressive cells in hypoxic tumors, and analyzed signaling pathways to find a potential therapeutic target to remodel the tumor microenvironment. They found that hypoxic tumors had more immunosuppressive cells and worse outcomes after treatment with certain immune inhibitors. The use of an anti-EGFR inhibitor showed promise in remodeling the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. This study provides a rationale for combining EGFR-targeted agents and immunotherapy in the management of hypoxic HNSCC.
CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)