Context-Dependent Regulation of Peripheral Nerve Abundance by the PI3K Pathway in the Tumor Microenvironment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies have highlighted neurons and their associated Schwann cells (SCs) as key regulators of cancer development. However, the mode of their interaction with tumor cells or other components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains elusive. We established an SC-related 43-gene set as a surrogate for peripheral nerves in the TME. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were classified into low, intermediate and high SC score groups based on the expression of this gene set. Perineural invasion (PNI) and TGF-β signaling were hallmarks of SC^high tumors, whereas SC^low tumors were enriched for HPV16-positive OPSCC and higher PI3K-MTOR activity. The latter activity was partially explained by a higher frequency of PTEN

SUBMITTER: Khorani K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11202044 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature