Clinical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
J Cell Mol Med. 2024 Jan;28(1):e18009. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.18009. Epub 2023 Oct 26.
The complex interplay between tumour cells and the tumour microenvironment (TME) underscores the necessity for gaining comprehensive insights into disease progression. This study centres on elucidating the elusive the elusive role of endothelial cells within the TME of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite their crucial involvement in angiogenesis and vascular function, the mechanistic diversity of endothelial cells among HNSCC patients remains largely uncharted. Leveraging advanced single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) technology and the Scissor algorithm, we aimed to bridge this knowledge gap and illuminate the intricate interplay between endothelial cells and patient prognosis within the context of HNSCC. Here, endothelial cells were categorized into Scissor and Scissor subtypes. We identified Scissor endothelial cells exhibiting pro-tumorigenic profiles and constructed a prognostic risk model for HNSCC. Additionally, four biomarkers also were identified by analysing the gene expression profiles of patients with HNSCC and a prognostic risk prediction model was constructed based on these genes. Furthermore, the correlations between endothelial cells and prognosis of patients with HNSCC were analysed by integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing data, revealing a close association between SHSS and the overall survival (OS) of HNSCC patients with malignant endothelial cells. Finally, we validated the prognostic model by RT-qPCR and IHC analysis. These findings enhance our comprehension of TME heterogeneity at the single-cell level and provide a prognostic model for HNSCC.
肿瘤细胞与肿瘤微环境(TME)之间的复杂相互作用强调了全面了解疾病进展的必要性。本研究集中于阐明头颈部鳞状细胞癌(HNSCC)TME 中内皮细胞难以捉摸的作用。尽管内皮细胞在血管生成和血管功能中起着至关重要的作用,但 HNSCC 患者中内皮细胞的机制多样性在很大程度上仍未被探索。利用先进的单细胞 RNA 测序(scRNA-Seq)技术和 Scissor 算法,我们旨在弥合这一知识空白,并阐明 HNSCC 背景下内皮细胞与患者预后之间的复杂相互作用。在这里,将内皮细胞分为 Scissor 和 Scissor 亚型。我们鉴定了具有促肿瘤特性的 Scissor 内皮细胞,并构建了 HNSCC 的预后风险模型。此外,通过分析 HNSCC 患者的基因表达谱,还鉴定了四个生物标志物,并基于这些基因构建了预后风险预测模型。此外,通过整合批量和单细胞测序数据分析内皮细胞与 HNSCC 患者预后的相关性,揭示了恶性内皮细胞与 HNSCC 患者总生存率(OS)之间的密切关联。最后,通过 RT-qPCR 和 IHC 分析验证了预后模型。这些发现增强了我们对 TME 异质性在单细胞水平的理解,并为 HNSCC 提供了一个预后模型。