The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a high-molecular-weight protein complex in the cytoplasm, is composed of three core components: the sensor protein NLRP3, the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (ASC) and the effector protein caspase-1. It plays a critical role in regulating host immune and inflammatory responses. Studies have shown that the NLRP3 inflammasome has increasingly become a focal point in tumor molecular biology field. A growing body of evidence indicates that the increased expression and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is closely associated with the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the tumor microenvironment (TME). It may promote tumor proliferation, invasion, migration, and other biological behaviors through various regulatory mechanisms while influencing tumor immune evasion and therapy resistance, which holds promise as a prognostic biomarker for patients. This review explores the current effect and mechanism of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its signaling pathways in head and neck cancer, providing insights into clinical targeted drug development and molecular immunotherapy.
Humans ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/metabolism* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Signal Transduction ; Animals

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma （HNSCC） is one of the ten most common cancers worldwide and is one of the refractory cancers with a poor prognosis in otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Cetuximab is widely used in the clinical treatment of HNSCC and has been approved by the FDA as a first-line chemotherapeutic agent. However, its efficacy varies significantly among different individuals. Therefore, exploring the resistance mechanisms of cetuximab in the treatment of HNSCC and screening for sensitive populations are essential for the precision treatment of head and neck cancer. This article summarizes the research progress on cetuximab resistance mechanisms in HNSCC, and the main aspects include: alterations in epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） and its ligands, changes in downstream effectors of EGFR, bypass activation and crosstalk, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, epigenetic modifications, and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment.
Humans ; Cetuximab/therapeutic use* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/drug therapy* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the biological functions and clinical value of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) 7 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) through bioinformatics analysis and basic experiments. METHODS: The expression of SMAD7 in HNSCC in public databases was studied. Western blot was used to detect the expression of SMAD7 in HNSCC cell lines and normal epithelial cells. The SMAD7 highly expressed HNSCC cell line HSC-4 was silenced, and CCK-8, Transwell assays, and cell scratch experiments were conducted to study the effect of SMAD7 on the biological functions of HSC-4 cells. HNSCC expression profile data were obtained from UCSC xena, and genes related to SMAD7 were selected for gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes gene enrichment analysis, construction of a co-expression gene interaction network, and screening of related cell signaling pathways. Western blot was used to detect the expression changes of proteins in the related cell signaling pathways in HNSCC cells with silenced SMAD7. cBioPortal was utilized to analyze the mutation rate of the SMAD7 gene, and the MethSurv database was used to analyze the methylation level of the SMAD7 gene and its correlation with prognosis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of SMAD7 for HNSCC. TIMER2.0 was used to analyze the correlation between SMAD7 expression and immune cell infiltration. RESULTS: SMAD7 was highly expressed in HNSCC tumor tissues and some cell lines. Silencing the expression of SMAD7 can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. Silencing SMAD7 can induce the downregulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). The bioinformatics analysis showed that the mutation rate of the SMAD7 gene and the methylation level were significantly correlated with the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. The expression of SMAD7 was related to the level of immune cell infiltration in HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS SMAD7 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HNSCC cells by regulating the expression of VCAM-1. It may be a potential tumor biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC.
Humans ; Smad7 Protein/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Gene Silencing ; Computational Biology

Tumor progression is closely related to tumor tissue metabolism and reshaping of the microenvironment. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a representative hypoxic tumor, has a heterogeneous internal metabolic environment. To clarify the relationship between different metabolic regions and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in OSCC, Single cell (SC) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) sequencing of OSCC tissues were performed. The proportion of TME in the ST data was obtained through SPOTlight deconvolution using SC and GSE103322 data. The metabolic activity of each spot was calculated using scMetabolism, and k-means clustering was used to classify all spots into hyper-, normal-, or hypometabolic regions. CD4T cell infiltration and TGF-β expression is higher in the hypermetabolic regions than in the others. Through CellPhoneDB and NicheNet cell-cell communication analysis, it was found that in the hypermetabolic region, fibroblasts can utilize the lactate produced by glycolysis of epithelial cells to transform into inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs), and the increased expression of HIF1A in iCAFs promotes the transcriptional expression of CXCL12. The secretion of CXCL12 recruits regulatory T cells (Tregs), leading to Treg infiltration and increased TGF-β secretion in the microenvironment and promotes the formation of a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study delineates the coordinate work axis of epithelial cells-iCAFs-Tregs in OSCC using SC, ST and TCGA bulk data, and highlights potential targets for therapy.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Immunosuppression Therapy ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Tumor Microenvironment

Humans ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/diagnosis* ; China ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology* ; Consensus ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Immunotherapy/methods*

The development, progression, and curative efficacy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are influenced by complex interactions between epithelial and immune cells. Nevertheless, the specific changes in the nature of these interactions and their underlying molecular mechanisms in HNSCC are not yet fully understood. Cuproptosis, a form of programmed cell death that is dependent on copper, has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis. However, the understanding of cuproptosis in the context of HNSCC remains limited. In this study, we have discovered that cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (CRLs) known as JPX play a role in promoting the expression of the oncogene urokinase-type plasminogen activator (PLAU) by competitively binding to miR-193b-3p in HNSCC. The increased activity of the JPX/miR-193b-3p/PLAU axis in malignant epithelial cells leads to enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HNSCC. Moreover, the overexpression of PLAU in tumor epithelial cells facilitates its interaction with the receptor PLAUR, predominantly expressed on macrophages, thereby influencing the abnormal epithelial-immune interactome in HNSCC. Notably, the JPX inhibitor Axitinib and the PLAU inhibitor Palbociclib may not only exert their effects on the JPX/miR-193b-3p/PLAU axis that impacts the malignant tumor behaviors and the epithelial-immune cell interactions but also exhibit synergistic effects in terms of suppressing tumor cell growth and arresting cell cycle by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK4/6) for the treatment of HNSCC.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/genetics* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/genetics* ; Cell Movement ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor affecting the head and neck region (Leemans et al., 2018). It is often diagnosed at a later stage, leading to a poor prognosis (Muzaffar et al., 2021; Li et al., 2023). Despite advances in OSCC treatment, the overall 5-year survival rate of OSCC patients remains alarmingly low, falling below 50% (Jehn et al., 2019; Johnson et al., 2020). According to statistics, only 50% of patients with oral cancer can be treated with surgery. Once discovered, it is more frequently at an advanced stage. In addition, owing to the aggressively invasive and metastatic characteristics of OSCC, most patients die within one year of diagnosis. Hence, the pursuit of novel therapeutic drugs and treatments to improve the response of oral cancer to medication, along with a deeper understanding of their effects, remains crucial objectives in oral cancer research (Johnson et al., 2020; Bhat et al., 2021; Chen et al., 2023; Ruffin et al., 2023).
Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Luteolin/therapeutic use* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/drug therapy* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Cell Line, Tumor

OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a common malignant tumor of head and neck. Screening of target genes for malignant tumor therapy is one of the focuses of cancer research, with proto-oncogene and tumor suppressor gene as the breakthrough. It has become an urgent need to find the target gene related to the treatment and prognosis of LSCC.This study aims to explore the role of Lin28B and C-myc in LSCC by detecting the expressions of these two proteins and analyze the correlation between the expression of Lin28B and C-myc and clinicopathological features and prognosis of LSCC. METHODS: We detected the expression of Lin28B and C-myc proteins in 102 specimens of LSCC and 90 specimens of adjacent tissues by immunochemistry, and analyzed the correlation between Lin28B and C-myc protein expressions in LSCC as well as the correlation between the expressions of the two proteins and the clinicopathological features of LSCC. At the same time, the Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relation between Lin28B and C-myc protein levels with the postoperative survival rate of LSCC patients. RESULTS: The protein levels of Lin28B and C-myc in the LSCC tissnes were significantly higher than those in the adjacent tissues (both P<0.05),and there was a positive correlation between the expression of Lin28B and C-myc in LSCC (r＝0.476, P<0.05). The expression of Lin28B protein was closely related to age, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, tumor size, and pathological differentiation of LSCC patients (all P<0.05). while the expression of C-myc protein was closely related to lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, tumor size, and pathological differentiation of LSCC patients (all P<0.05). A relevant survival analysis showed that in patients with higher level of Lin28B (P＝0.001) or C-myc protein (P<0.001), the postoperative survival rate was relatively low. CONCLUSIONS Lin28B and C-myc proteins are highly expressed in LSCC with a positive correlation. Furthermore, they are closely related to lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, tumor size, pathological differentiation and prognosis, suggesting that both Lin28B and C-myc might be involved in the occurrence and development of LSCC.
Humans ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism* ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play crucial roles in tumor progression and immune responses. However, mechanisms of driving TAMs to antitumor function remain unknown. Here, transcriptome profiling analysis of human oral cancer tissues indicated that regulator of G protein signaling 12 (RGS12) regulates pathologic processes and immune-related pathways. Mice with RGS12 knockout in macrophages displayed decreased M1 TAMs in oral cancer tissues, and extensive proliferation and invasion of oral cancer cells. RGS12 increased the M1 macrophages with features of increased ciliated cell number and cilia length. Mechanistically, RGS12 associates with and activates MYC binding protein 2 (MYCBP2) to degrade the cilia protein kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) in TAMs. Our results demonstrate that RGS12 is an essential oral cancer biomarker and regulator for immunosuppressive TAMs activation.
Mice ; Humans ; Animals ; Tumor-Associated Macrophages/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Mouth Neoplasms ; GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism* ; RGS Proteins/metabolism* ; Kinesins/metabolism* ; Repressor Proteins/metabolism*

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) escape from the immune system is mediated through several immunosuppressive phenotypes that are critical to the initiation and progression of tumors. As a hallmark of cancer, DNA damage repair is closely related to changes in the immunophenotypes of tumor cells. Although flap endonuclease-1 (FEN1), a pivotal DNA-related enzyme is involved in DNA base excision repair to maintain the stability of the cell genome, the correlation between FEN1 and tumor immunity has been unexplored. In the current study, by analyzing the clinicopathological characteristics of FEN1, we demonstrated that FEN1 overexpressed and that an inhibitory immune microenvironment was established in OSCC. In addition, we found that downregulating FEN1 inhibited the growth of OSCC tumors. In vitro studies provided evidence that FEN1 knockdown inhibited the biological behaviors of OSCC and caused DNA damage. Performing multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC), we directly observed that the acquisition of critical immunosuppressive phenotypes was correlated with the expression of FEN1. More importantly, FEN1 directly or indirectly regulated two typical immunosuppressive phenotype-related proteins human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) and programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1), through the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)/janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator transcription 1 (STAT1) pathway. Our study highlights a new perspective on FEN1 action for the first time, providing theoretical evidence that it may be a potential immunotherapy target for OSCC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology* ; DNA ; Down-Regulation ; Flap Endonucleases/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Mouth Neoplasms/pathology* ; Phenotype ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Janus Kinases/metabolism*