Low expression of CD40L in tumor-free lymph node of oral cavity cancer related with poor prognosis

ICI-based therapies: A new strategy for oral potentially malignant disorders

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are linked with an escalated risk of developing cancers, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Since prevailing therapies cannot effectively forestall the exacerbation and recurrence of OPMDs, halting their malignant progression is paramount. The immune checkpoint serves as a cardinal regulator of the immune response and the primary cause of adaptive immunological resistance. Although the exact mechanism remains elusive, elevated expression of multiple immune checkpoints in OPMDs and OSCC relative to healthy oral mucosa has been ascertained. This review delves into the immunosuppressive microenvironment of OPMDs, the expression of diverse immune checkpoints such as programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) and programmed death receptor-1 ligand (PD-L1) in OPMDs, and the potential application of corresponding inhibitors. In addition, synergistic strategies incorporating combined immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as cGAS-STING, costimulatory molecules, cancer vaccines, and hydrogels, are discussed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role and application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in oral carcinogenesis.

A 13-gene signature to predict the prognosis and immunotherapy responses of lung squamous cell carcinoma

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) comprises 20–30% of all lung cancers. Immunotherapy has significantly improved the prognosis of LUSC patients; however, only a small subset of patients responds to the treatment. Therefore, we aimed to develop a novel multi-gene signature associated with the immune phenotype of the tumor microenvironment for LUSC prognosis prediction. We stratified the LUSC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset into hot and cold tumor according to a combination of infiltration status of immune cells and PD-L1 expression level. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that hot tumors were associated with shorter overall survival (OS). Enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the hot and cold tumors suggested that hot tumors potentially have a higher immune response ratio to immunotherapy than cold tumors. Subsequently, hub genes based on the DEGs were identified and protein–protein interactions were constructed. Finally, we established an immune-related 13-gene signature based on the hub genes using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator feature selection and multivariate cox regression analysis. This gene signature divided LUSC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups and the former inclined worse OS than the latter. Multivariate cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that the risk model constructed by the 13 prognostic genes was an independent risk factor for prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a moderate predictive accuracy for 1-, 3- and 5-year OS. The 13-gene signature also performed well in four external cohorts (three LUSC and one melanoma cohorts) from Gene Expression Omnibus. Overall, in this study, we established a reliable immune-related 13-gene signature that can stratify and predict the prognosis of LUSC patients, which might serve clinical use of immunotherapy.

A novel seven-gene panel predicts the sensitivity and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with platinum-based radio(chemo)therapy

PURPOSE

The aim of the study is to identify a reliable gene panel to predict the prognosis of HNSCC patients by integrated genomic analysis.

METHODS

Co-expression gene networks were constructed by WGCNA using GSE113282 gene expression profile. The biological functional investigation was performed by GO and KEGG function enrichment analysis. The hub gene module was screened by PPI. The prognostic gene panel was established by Lasso regression analysis, and further progression-free survival (PFS) analysis was validated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using GSE102995 data.

RESULTS

We identified 195 genes associated with the overall survival (OS) status (correlation coefficients: - 0.42, and p value: 2e-05) by WGCNA. These genes were enriched in immune-related cytokines and pathways analyzed by GO and KEGG. Among the 195 genes, the module (42 genes) with the highest score was screened by PPI. A novel seven-gene predictive panel (CD19, CD40LG, CD5, CXCR6, FPR2, NCAM1, and SELL) was established by Lasso regression analysis, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) for 3-year OS status was 0.8298 and 0.7571, respectively, in the training set and the test set. The PFS time of the low-risk patients was significantly longer than the high-risk patients (p < 0.0001; log-rank test) by further validation using GSE102995 data.

CONCLUSION

The seven-gene panel may serve as a reliable predictive tool for HNSCC patients treated with platinum-based radio (chemo) therapy, and may be potential therapeutic targets for HNSCC patients.

ErbB3, a possible prognostic factor of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify the prognostic factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by using gene expression analysis and candidate biomarkers for adjuvant therapy.

STUDY DESIGN

Complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray analysis was performed by using samples from 8 patients, who had died as a result of fulminant recurrence shortly after postoperative radiation therapy, and the results were compared with those from patients with HNSCC of similar stage, but without recurrence. Tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry of samples from 69 patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma indicated ErbB3 to be a prognostic marker, and its expression was analyzed in the HNSCC cell lines. Sapitinib was tested as a concurrent inhibitor of EGFR, ErbB2, and ErbB3. In 15 mice, tumor xenograft was implanted at the lateral tongue, and tumor growth was evaluated.

RESULTS

ErbB3 overexpression in patients with treatment-resistant HNSCC was associated with relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival (P = .018, P = .006, and P = .003, respectively). In the HNSCC cell line, ErbB2 and ErbB3 overexpression was inhibited by postoperative adjuvant therapy with sapitinib, which was also seen to improve survival in an animal model.

CONCLUSIONS

ErbB3 overexpression predicts a poor clinical outcome. Sapitinib was shown to be an effective inhibitor in the HNSCC cell line and animal models of cancer but with no statistical significance. Further studies with larger groups are needed to better support these results.

Accelerated elimination of human cancer cells by a CD40 agonist antibody combined with a PD-1 antagonist in CD4-depleted mice

The elimination of residual microscopic cancer cells is important cancer treatment. The immunoediting theory describes the balance between the immune system and cancer cells. The current study investigated changes in the immune system during the elimination of cancer cells and evaluated the influence of cluster of differentiation (CD)4 or CD8 depletion. A human squamous cell cancer cell line (SNU1041) was injected in the lateral tongue of immunocompetent mice and the changes in the CD4, CD8, CD11b, CD19, CD40 and CD40 ligand (L) populations in the blood, lymph nodes and spleen were evaluated using flow cytometry, and changes in serum cytokine levels were evaluated using a magnetic bead panel. Cancer cell elimination was delayed by CD4 depletion but not by CD8 depletion. The CD8-depleted group indicated increased levels of CD40L, interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. It was concluded that CD4 served a crucial role in the elimination of human cancer cells. Furthermore, the efficacies of CD40 agonist and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) antagonist treatments were assessed in CD4-depleted mice. CD40 agonist treatment resulted in faster cancer cell elimination and increased cytokine excretion. In conclusion, CD4 or CD40L significantly influenced cancer elimination. CD40 agonist antibodies may be potent adjuvant agents that can be used in patients with reduced CD4 or CD40L expression.