Comprehensive tumour-immune profiling reveals TREM2⁺ tumour-associated macrophages facilitating lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is a well-established independent prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Formation of suppressive tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) is a major contributor to tumour immune evasion and metastasis. However, the TIME landscape underlying LN-metastatic HNSCC remains poorly elucidated.

Methods

A total of 688 866 single-cell transcriptomes across 212 HNSCC samples were integrated. Comprehensive bioinformatic analyses on single-cell RNA sequencing and microarray datasets revealed a TREM2⁺ tumour-associated macrophage (TAM) cluster associated with LN metastasis. The functional role of TREM2⁺ TAMs was investigated through multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) staining in clinical HNSCC cohort

SUBMITTER: Wu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856236 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature