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Li J, Li S, Shu M, Hu W. Unravelling the heterogeneity of oral squamous cell carcinoma by integrative analysis of single-cell and bulk transcriptome data. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18108. [PMID: 38279519 PMCID: PMC10844683 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy of the head and neck with rising global incidence. Despite advances in treatment modalities, OSCC prognosis remains diverse due to the complex molecular and cellular heterogeneity within tumours, as well as the heterogeneity in tumour microenvironment (TME). In this study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis to explore distinct subpopulations of tumour cells in OSCC tissues and their interaction with components in TME. We identified four major tumour cell subpopulations (C0, C1, C2 and C3) with unique molecular characteristics and functional features. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that C0 primarily expressed genes involved in extracellular matrix interactions and C1 showed higher proliferation levels, suggesting that the two cell subpopulations exhibited tumour aggressiveness. Conversely, C2 and C3 displayed features associated with keratinization and cornified envelope formation. Accordingly, C0 and C1 subpopulations were associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival times, while C2 and C3 were weakly correlated with longer survival. Genomic analysis showed that C1 demonstrated a positive correlation with tumour mutation burden. Furthermore, C0 exhibited resistant to cisplatin treatment, while C1 showed more sensitive to cisplatin treatment, indicating that C0 might exhibit more aggressive compared to C1. Additionally, C0 had a higher level of communication with fibroblasts and endothelial cells in TME via integrin-MAPK signalling, suggesting that the function of C0 was maintained by that pathway. In summary, this study provided critical insights into the molecular and cellular heterogeneity of OSCC, with potential implications for prognosis prediction and personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Department of ProsthodonticsShanghai Engineering Research Center of Tooth Restoration and RegenerationStomatological Hospital and Dental School of Tongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shengjiao Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Engineering Research Center of Tooth Restoration and RegenerationStomatological Hospital and Dental School of Tongji UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Mingyang Shu
- Department of StomatologyHuai'an Second People's Hospital and The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical UniversityHuai'anChina
| | - Weiwei Hu
- Department of StomatologyHuai'an Second People's Hospital and The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical UniversityHuai'anChina
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Stucky A, Viet CT, Aouizerat BE, Ye Y, Doan C, Mundluru T, Sedhiazadeh P, Sinha UK, Chen X, Zhang X, Li SC, Cai J, Zhong JF. Single-Cell Molecular Profiling of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Reveals Five Dysregulated Signaling Pathways Associated With Circulating Tumor Cells. Cancer Control 2024; 31:10732748241251571. [PMID: 38869038 PMCID: PMC11179551 DOI: 10.1177/10732748241251571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the dysregulated signaling pathways of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma associated with circulating tumor cells (CTCs) via single-cell molecular characterization. INTRODUCTION Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a significant global burden and is a disease with poor survival. Despite trials exploring new treatment modalities to improve disease control rates, the 5 year survival rate remains low at only 60%. Most cancer malignancies are reported to progress to a fatal phase due to the metastatic activity derived from treatment-resistant cancer cells, regarded as one of the most significant obstacles to develope effective cancer treatment options. However, the molecular profiles of cancer cells have not been thoroughly studied. METHODS Here, we examined in-situ HNSCC tumors and pairwisely followed up with the downstream circulating tumor cells (CTCs)-based on the surrogate biomarkers to detect metastasis that is established in other cancers - not yet being fully adopted in HNSCC treatment algorithms. RESULTS Specifically, we revealed metastatic HNSCC patients have complex CTCs that could be defined through gene expression and mutational gene profiling derived from completed single-cell RNASeq (scRNASeq) that served to confirm molecular pathways inherent in these CTCs. To enhance the reliability of our findings, we cross-validated those molecular profiles with results from previously published studies. CONCLUSION Thus, we identified 5 dysregulated signaling pathways in CTCs to derive HNSCC biomarker panels for screening HNSCC in situ tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Stucky
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Chi T Viet
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Bradley E Aouizerat
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Ye
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Coleen Doan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Tarun Mundluru
- Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Parish Sedhiazadeh
- Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Uttam K Sinha
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xuelian Chen
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - Shengwen Calvin Li
- Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Research Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience Research, CHOC Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Jin Cai
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang F Zhong
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA
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Lee YM, Hsu CL, Chen YH, Ou DL, Hsu C, Tan CT. Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of an Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Mouse Model for Immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1553-1567. [PMID: 37669022 PMCID: PMC10618654 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1), has shown moderate efficacy in some patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Because of this, it is imperative to establish a mouse tumor model to explore mechanisms of antitumor immunity and to develop novel therapeutic options. Here, we examined the 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) model for genetic aberrations, transcriptomic profiles, and immune cell composition at different pathologic stages. Genomic exome analysis in OSCC-bearing mice showed conservation of critical mutations found in human HNSCC. Transcriptomic data revealed that a key signature comprised of immune-related genes was increased beginning at the moderate dysplasia stages. We first identified that macrophage composition in primary tumors differed across pathologic stages, leading to an oncogenic evolution through a change in the M1/M2 macrophage ratio during tumorigenesis. We treated the 4NQO-induced OSCC-bearing mice with anti-PD-1 and agonistic anti-CD40, which modulated multiple immune responses. The growth of tumor cells was significantly decreased by agonistic anti-CD40 by promoting an increase in the M1/M2 ratio. By examining cross-species genomic conservation in human and mouse tumors, our study demonstrates the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of OSCC and the regulation of contributing immune-related factors, and aims to facilitate the development of suitable ICI-based treatments for patients with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Mei Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lang Hsu
- Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsin Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Liang Ou
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- YongLin Institute of Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chiun Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ting Tan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Center of Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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