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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics
Published on: March 15, 2024
Single-cell transcriptomics uncover the key ferroptosis regulators contribute to cancer progression in head and neck
Fei Liu1, Lindong Tang2, Qing Li3
1Cancer Screening Center, Department of Health Management, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangdong, China.
Abstract:
The mechanism underlying the association between the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and ferroptosis is unclear. We analyzed the transcriptomes of 5902 single cells from a single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset. They then aggregate into B cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, germ cells, mesenchymal cells, cancer stem cells, stem cells, T cells and endometrial cells, respectively. Our study shows that multiple pathways are significantly enriched in HNSCC development including extracellular matrix structural components, humoral immune responses, and muscle contraction. Differentially expressed genes analysis in Pseudotime analysis, pathway and biological function indicated that there was a significant correlation in the ferroptosis pathway. Furthermore, higher ferroptosis potential index (FPI) scores were significantly associated with worse overall survival prognosis in HNSCC patients. Pseudo-temporal, survival analyses and immunohistochemistry identified multiple central genes in HNSCC development, including ACSL1, SLC39A14, TFRC, and PRNP genes, and indicated associated ferroptosis. Overall, our study detected ferroptosis-related features is closely correlated with HNSCC prognosis and development, and deserved candidates suitable for immunotherapy treatment strategies determination for HNSCC patients.
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