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Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Xie, M; Chaudhary, R; Slebos, RJC; Lee, K; Song, F; Poole, MI; Hoening, DS; Noel, LC; Hernandez-Prera, JC; Conejo-Garcia, JR; Chung, CH; Tan, AC
Published in: Mol Carcinog
January 2024

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) remain a poorly understood disease clinically and immunologically. HPV is a known risk factor of HNSCC associated with better outcome, whereas HPV-negative HNSCC are more heterogeneous in outcome. Gene expression signatures have been developed to classify HNSCC into four molecular subtypes (classical, basal, mesenchymal, and atypical). However, the molecular underpinnings of treatment response and the immune landscape for these molecular subtypes are largely unknown. Herein, we described a comprehensive immune landscape analysis in three independent HNSCC cohorts (>700 patients) using transcriptomics data. We assigned the HPV- HNSCC patients into these four molecular subtypes and characterized the tumor microenvironment using deconvolution method. We determined that atypical and mesenchymal subtypes have greater immune enrichment and exhibit a T-cell exhaustion phenotype, compared to classical and basal subtypes. Further analyses revealed different B cell maturation and antibody isotypes enrichment patterns, and distinct immune microenvironment crosstalk in the atypical and mesenchymal subtypes. Taken together, our study suggests that treatments that enhances B cell activity may benefit patients with HNSCC of the atypical subtypes. The rationale can be utilized in the design of future precision immunotherapy trials based on the molecular subtypes of HPV- HNSCC.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Mol Carcinog

DOI

EISSN

1098-2744

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

63

Issue

1

Start / End Page

120 / 135

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
  • Papillomavirus Infections
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Immunotherapy
  • Humans
  • Human Papillomavirus Viruses
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology
 

Citation

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Xie, M., Chaudhary, R., Slebos, R. J. C., Lee, K., Song, F., Poole, M. I., … Tan, A. C. (2024). Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer. Mol Carcinog, 63(1), 120–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/mc.23640
Xie, Mengyu, Ritu Chaudhary, Robbert J. C. Slebos, Kyubum Lee, Feifei Song, Maria I. Poole, Dirk S. Hoening, et al. “Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer.Mol Carcinog 63, no. 1 (January 2024): 120–35. https://doi.org/10.1002/mc.23640.
Xie M, Chaudhary R, Slebos RJC, Lee K, Song F, Poole MI, et al. Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer. Mol Carcinog. 2024 Jan;63(1):120–35.
Xie, Mengyu, et al. “Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer.Mol Carcinog, vol. 63, no. 1, Jan. 2024, pp. 120–35. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/mc.23640.
Xie M, Chaudhary R, Slebos RJC, Lee K, Song F, Poole MI, Hoening DS, Noel LC, Hernandez-Prera JC, Conejo-Garcia JR, Chung CH, Tan AC. Immune landscape in molecular subtypes of human papillomavirus-negative head and neck cancer. Mol Carcinog. 2024 Jan;63(1):120–135.
Journal cover image

Published In

Mol Carcinog

DOI

EISSN

1098-2744

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

63

Issue

1

Start / End Page

120 / 135

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
  • Papillomavirus Infections
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Immunotherapy
  • Humans
  • Human Papillomavirus Viruses
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
  • 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology