TY  - EJOU
AU  - HOU, SHIDA 
AU  - LAN, TIANJUN 
AU  - YANG, YAOCHENG 
AU  - LIANG, PEISHENG 
AU  - LIU, XIN 
AU  - WANG, JUNJIE 
AU  - CHEN, ZHIFENG 
AU  - ZENG, RONGSHENG 
AU  - HUANG, ZIJING 

TI  - Regulation of RNA methylation and immune infiltration patterns by m5C regulators in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
T2  - BIOCELL

PY  - 2023
VL  - 47
IS  - 12
SN  - 1667-5746

AB  - <b>Background:</b> 5-Methylcytosine (m5C) methylation contributes to the development and progression of various malignant tumors. This study aimed to explore the potential role of m5C methylation regulators (m5CMRs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). <b>Methods:</b> The transcription data of HNSCC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Subsequently, the m5C patterns in HNSCC were evaluated based on 14 m5CMRs. Then, the m5Cscore was developed to quantify m5C patterns by using principal component analysis (PCA) algorithms. Two single-cell RNA sequencing datasets and various methods were employed to assess the prognostic value and sensitivity to immunotherapy. Finally, key prognostic m5CMRs were identified using univariate COX regression analysis, and their clinical significance was validated based on the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database and by using immunohistochemistry. <b>Results:</b> Two distinct m5C clusters were identified. m5C cluster A is characterized by an immune-activated microenvironment and is associated with a favorable prognosis. Notable differences were observed in prognosis, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response between the high- and low-m5Cscore groups. Patients in the high-m5Cscore group exhibited high TMB, which is correlated with poor prognosis. The m5Cscore of epithelial cells in HNSCC was higher than that in other cells. Key prognostic m5CMRs, including NSUN2, DNMT3B, ALKBH1, and Y-Box Binding Protein 1 (YBX1), were associated with poor prognosis. <b>Conclusion:</b> Our research indicates that in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the m5C modification profoundly affects the TME’s diversity and complexity, influencing prognosis and the success of immunotherapy. Targeting m5C regulatory elements may be a new method for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy in HNSCC.
KW  - Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; RNA methylation; 5-methylcytosine; Immunotherapy

DO  - 10.32604/biocell.2023.043291