Investigating immune and non-immune cell interactions in head and neck tumors by single-cell RNA sequencing.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by complex relations between stromal, epithelial, and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). To enable the development of more efficacious therapies, we aim to study the heterogeneity, signatures of unique cell populations, and cell-cell interactions of non-immune and immune cell populations in 6 human papillomavirus (HPV)⁺ and 12 HPV^- HNSCC patient tumor and matched peripheral blood specimens using single-cell RNA sequencing. Using this dataset of 134,606 cells, we show cell type-specific signatures associated with inflammation and HPV status, describe the negative prognostic value of fibroblasts with elastic differentiation specifically in the HPV⁺ TME, predict therapeutically t

SUBMITTER: Kurten CHL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8683505 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature