Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infected Epithelial Cells and FBLN1+ Fibroreticular Cells Govern the Immunogenic Tumor Microenvironment in HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE314048 | GEO | 2026/04/30
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:OPSCC can occur through either the exposure to carcinogens such as alcohol and/or tobacco or high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We used single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HPV-positive OPSCC exhibits distinctive features, with relevance to the interaction between cancer cells and adjacent stromal cells.
2026-04-30 | GSE288786 | GEO
Project description:Tobacco use is an independent adverse prognostic feature in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Despite this, the biologic features associated with tobacco use have not been systematically investigated in this population. We sought to characterize the genomic and immunologic features of HPV(+) OPSCC associated with tobacco use and adverse oncologic outcomes. Whole exome sequencing of 47 primary HPV(+) OPSCC tumors was performed to investigate mutational differences associated with tobacco exposure. To characterize the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), targeted mRNA hybridization was performed. Low expression of transcripts in a T cell-inflamed gene expression profile (TGEP) was associated with tobacco use at the time of diagnosis and lower overall and disease-free survival. Tobacco use was associated with an increased proportion of T>C substitutions and a lower proportion of mutational signatures typically observed in HPV(+) OPSCC tumors, but was not associated with increases in mutational burden or the rate of recurrent oncogenic mutations. Our work suggests that rather than increased mutational burden, tobacco’s primary and clinically relevant association in HPV(+) OPSCC is immunosuppression of the tumor immune microenvironment.
2022-04-02 | GSE199029 | GEO
Project description:Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), a distinct head and neck cancer subtype that develops in the oropharynx, is well known to be categorized into human papillomavirus induced (HPV+) and non-HPV induced (HPV-). While HPV+ OPSCC is reported to be clinically advantageous compared to HPV- OPSCC, the heterogeneous responses in HPV+ OPSCC during immunotherapy treatment have not been well characterized at the molecular level. In this study, we assess both tumor and immune cells of the OPSCC tumor microenvironment (TME) via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell TCR sequencing (scTCR-seq). By dissecting the transcriptome of OPSCC tumor cells, we find that cancer cell transcriptional diversity may be a strong factor in negating HPV associated clinical benefits. By assessing immune cells, we observed molecular antiviral and anti-tumor characteristics of T cells that is associated with HPV infection, and key cell-cell interaction differences among resident memory T cells (Trm), follicular helper T cells, and B cells. Importantly, we identify a novel molecular state within the HPV+ OPSCC that is distinguished by the expression KLRB1 (CD161) in the Trm that inhibits anti-tumor activity, which may further explain the heterogeneous clinical benefits of HPV+OPSCC. Association of KLRB1 expression of Trm and immunotherapy outcome was confirmed via immunofluorescence analysis, suggesting CD161 as a novel therapeutic target to improve cancer treatment of HPV+ OPSCC.
2024-06-01 | GSE226620 | GEO
Project description:Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is diagnosed in 93,000 patients worldwide per year and 51,000 annual deaths can be attributed to this disease. OPSCCs are either human papillomavirus associated (HPV-positive) cancers or non-virally induced, primarily tobacco and alcohol associated (HPV-negative) cancers. MS analysis enabled the identification of naturally HLA-presented peptides in OPSCC tumor tissue. By comparative profiling against benign HLA ligandomic datasets, we demonstrated that tumor-associated peptides are HLA-presented on the cell surfaces of OPSCCs. The established warehouse of OPSCC-associated peptides can be used for downstream immunogenicity testing and peptide-based immunotherapy in (semi-) personalized strategies.
2023-02-27 | PXD033383 | Pride
Project description:Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is diagnosed in 93,000 patients worldwide per year and 51,000 annual deaths can be attributed to this disease. OPSCCs are either human papillomavirus associated (HPV-positive) cancers or non-virally induced, primarily tobacco and alcohol associated (HPV-negative) cancers. MS analysis enabled the identification of naturally HLA-presented peptides in OPSCC tumor tissue. By comparative profiling against benign HLA ligandomic datasets, we demonstrated that tumor-associated peptides are HLA-presented on the cell surfaces of OPSCCs. The established warehouse of OPSCC-associated peptides can be used for downstream immunogenicity testing and peptide-based immunotherapy in (semi-) personalized strategies.
2025-11-18 | MSV000099949 | MassIVE
Project description:Heterogeneity in HPV status within HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) has gained attention, but the origin and relevance of HPV-absent cancer cells remain unclear. Among 83 OPSCCs, including 48 HPV-OPSCCs, seven showed spatial HPV heterogeneity. Using HPV-DNA in situ hybridization, histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, and spatial transcriptomics, we revealed that HPV-absent subsets differentiate from initial HPV-positive cells, forming distinct lineages. HPV-OPSCC was associated with p16 expression, with HPV-absent clones showing robust p16 expression and poorly differentiated histology. Despite these aggressive features, prognosis was comparable to HPV-homogeneous tumors, likely due to tumor microenvironment differences. HPV-absent clones exhibited increased interferon signaling, hypoxia signaling, and cytotoxic lymphocyte infiltration, indicating a loss of antiviral immune evasion. Conversely, HPV-positive clones were linked to FGFR3 ligand-receptor signaling. This study highlights the emergence, evolution, and microenvironmental impact of HPV-absent clones in HPV-OPSCC.
2026-05-20 | GSE289363 | GEO
Project description:The global rise of HPV(+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has generated considerable interest underlying its etiology and management. Despite an overall decline in head and neck malignancies, the incidence in OPSCC has by contrast sharply risen, with HPV(+) subtypes now comprising 80% of all OPSCC.1,2 Relative to HPV(-) OPSCC, HPV(+) patients are more responsive to chemoradiation and harbor a 52% risk-of-death reduction.3 Despite this distinct outcome, treatment regimens remain the same for all OPSCC subtypes (smoking-driven and virus-driven), rather than an adaptive approach to what most consider distinct diseases. The short-term effects (e.g., mucositis, odynophagia) and long-term toxicities (e.g., xerostomia, dysphagia, ototoxicity) from treatment substantially affect quality of life, and rival the impact of the cancer itself. Recently published as well as ongoing trials are actively examining deintensification approaches2,4-9, with the goal of diminishing treatment sequelae for HPV(+) subtypes. While deintensification may decrease chemoradiation-related toxicities, it nonetheless may also undertreat a meaningful percentage of HPV(+) patients who may then recur. In examining national trials, 19% of HPV(+) patients had disease progression after therapy, with a two-year survival rate of 60%.10 Current methods to ascertain HPV status involve p16 staining. However, on comparison with gold standard E6/E7 expression by qPCR, p16 harbored a 15% false positivity rate11, suggesting limited utility as a sole biomarker for deintensification. Improved molecular stratification would greatly enhance the clinician’s ability to precisely tailor treatment while minimizing the risk of jeopardizing outcomes. One approach encompasses in-depth proteomic profiling of HPV(+) OPSCC to reveal distinct protein expression profiles and delineate clinically relevant upstream pathways. In turn, these proteomic differences may distinguish higher-risk disease (cases predisposed to recurrence that may benefit from treatment intensification) from lower-risk phenotypes (cases whose treatment response is sufficiently robust to warrant deintensification). Here, two HPV(+) OPSCC cohorts stratified by treatment response are compared via a hybrid data dependent acquisition/data independent acquisition (DDA/DIA) approach via mass spectrometry. We focused on detection of low-abundance proteins to highlight proteomic signatures that can be potentially exploited for treatment stratification.
2022-05-05 | PXD028618 | Pride
Project description:The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is increasing and effective treatment for targeting the subset of patients at high risk for recurrence remains a significant clinical challenge. In this study, pre-treatment tumour biopsies were used for proteomic analysis by data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) to identify protein and peptide biomarker signatures able to stratify patients at low, intermediate, or high-risk of recurrence. For further details, refer to the publication that accompanies this data deposition.
2025-02-23 | PXD036891 | Pride
Project description:Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide with an annual mortality rate of 200,000. About 90% of HNC can be classified as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), of which approximately 75% are attributed to alcohol and tobacco consumption and 25 are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), predominantly HPV16. HPV-associated OPC have better prognosis and a more favorable response to therapy as compared to HPV-negative tumors. Viral oncoproteins are capable of transforming primary human keratinocytes from either genital or oral epithelia in vitro and most likely play the same role in vivo, by disrupting cell-cycle regulatory pathways leading to a genetic progression to ano-genital cancer and OPC. However, the precise mechanisms by which HPV mediates malignant transformation of keratinocytes in the upper digestive tract epithelia are not entirely clear. HPV E7-mediated inactivation of pRb results in overexpression of p16INK4A, which is commonly used as a clinical surrogate marker for HPV positivity/activity. However, high p16INK4A alone has insufficient sensitivity and specificity as a biomarker of HPV positivity in different mucosal sub-sites of HNC. Therefore, increasing emphasis is being placed on the assessment of viral load and E7 oncogene expression, resulting in further classification of HPV positive OPC as HPV-active and HPV-inactive. Differences in risk factors, age of presentation, clinical behavior and gene expression profiles indicate that HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors develop via different molecular mechanisms and are biologically distinct. This study aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of HPV-negative and HPV-inactive OPCs from both African American and European American patients, and determine their biological and racial differences.
2014-03-05 | GSE55545 | GEO
Project description:Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide with an annual mortality rate of 200,000. About 90% of HNC can be classified as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), of which approximately 75% are attributed to alcohol and tobacco consumption and 25 are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), predominantly HPV16. HPV-associated OPC have better prognosis and a more favorable response to therapy as compared to HPV-negative tumors. Viral oncoproteins are capable of transforming primary human keratinocytes from either genital or oral epithelia in vitro and most likely play the same role in vivo, by disrupting cell-cycle regulatory pathways leading to a genetic progression to ano-genital cancer and OPC. However, the precise mechanisms by which HPV mediates malignant transformation of keratinocytes in the upper digestive tract epithelia are not entirely clear. HPV E7-mediated inactivation of pRb results in overexpression of p16INK4A, which is commonly used as a clinical surrogate marker for HPV positivity/activity. However, high p16INK4A alone has insufficient sensitivity and specificity as a biomarker of HPV positivity in different mucosal sub-sites of HNC. Therefore, increasing emphasis is being placed on the assessment of viral load and E7 oncogene expression, resulting in further classification of HPV positive OPC as HPV-active and HPV-inactive. Differences in risk factors, age of presentation, clinical behavior and gene expression profiles indicate that HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors develop via different molecular mechanisms and are biologically distinct. This study aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of HPV-negative and HPV-inactive OPCs from both African American and European American patients, and determine their biological and racial differences. ANALYSIS 4: Four-condition, one-color experiment: African American (AA) HPV-inactive, African American (AA) HPV-negative, European American (EA) HPV-inactive, European American (EA) HPV-negative oropharyngeal tumor samples. Biological replicates: 4 AA HPV Inactive samples, 8 AA HPV Negative samples, 4 EA HPV Inactive samples and 8 EA HPV Negative samples,
2014-03-05 | E-GEOD-55545 | biostudies-arrayexpress