Germinal center B-cell subgroups in the tumor microenvironment cannot be overlooked: Their involvement in prognosis, immunotherapy response, and treatment resistance in head and neck squamous carcinoma
Lin Li, Jiani Zou, Shengbin Pei, Wenyi Huang, Yichi Zhang, Zhijie Zhao, Yantao Ding, Can Xiao
Abstract
Background: More than 60 % of patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) are diagnosed at advanced stages and miss radical treatment. This has prompted the need to find new biomarkers to achieve early diagnosis and predict early recurrence and metastasis of tumors. Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from HNSCC tissues and peripheral blood samples were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE164690) to characterize the B-cell subgroups, differentiation trajectories, and intercellular communication networks in HNSCC and to construct a prognostic model of the associated risks. In addition, this study analyzed the differences in clinical features, immune cell infiltration, functional enrichment, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and drug sensitivity between the high- and low-risk groups. Results: GCB score groups. Conclusions: GCB score fills the research gap in the genetic prognostic prediction model of HNSCC and is expected to provide a theoretical basis for finding new therapeutic targets for HNSCC.