OPIOID-EXPRESSING B CELLS SILENCE TUMOR-INFILTRATING NOCICEPTOR NEURONS.

ABSTRACT: Nociceptor neurons, which transmit pain signals, also regulate immunity by releasing immunomodulatory neuropeptides. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and melanoma, our research has shown that tumor-innervating nociceptors modulate anti-tumor immunity through the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and its interaction with receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1). A retrospective analysis of clinical charts from HNSCC patients revealed that higher pain levels correlated with increased opioid use, perineural invasion, and decreased B-cell infiltration-factors associated with poorer survival outcomes. In silico single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that opioid use in HNSCC patients downregulates nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), an endogenous ligand f

SUBMITTER: Eichwald T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12425075 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature