Aging and head and neck cancer insights from single cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Immunology

Background:

• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a globally prevalent malignancy with high mortality rates.
• Limited early detection methods lead to advanced-stage diagnoses and poor prognoses.
• Aging-related genes (ARGs) are implicated in HNSCC development and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression and prognostic significance of ARGs in HNSCC.
• To analyze cellular communication networks and metabolic activities within the HNSCC tumor microenvironment.
• To provide theoretical support for personalized HNSCC treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics on HNSCC datasets (GSE139324, TCGA).
• Employed Seurat, tSNE, SCTransform, RunPCA, spacerxr, and RCTD for data analysis.
• Developed a Cox regression model for recurrence prediction and survival analysis.

Main Results:

• Observed an increased proportion of monocytes and macrophages, and a decreased proportion of B cells in HNSCC.
• High expression of the APOE gene in monocytes correlated significantly with patient prognosis.
• A predictive model integrating GSTP1 and age was established for personalized survival prediction.

Conclusions:

• Single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics elucidated cellular characteristics and microenvironmental interactions in HNSCC.
• HNSCC tissues exhibit increased mononuclear cells and enhanced ARG activity.
• Findings advance the understanding of HNSCC pathogenesis and support personalized therapeutic approaches.