Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1334747

Predicting radiotherapy efficacy and prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma through an in-depth analysis of a radiosensitivity gene signature Validation of a radiosensitivity signature for radiotherapy prediction

Provisionally accepted
Jinzhi Lai Jinzhi Lai 1*Hainan Yang Hainan Yang 2Junjun Chen Junjun Chen 3*Shoubo Chen Shoubo Chen 1*Xiaofang Chen Xiaofang Chen 1*
  • 1 The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
  • 2 First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
  • 3 Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a prevalent tumor that affects many people worldwide. Radiotherapy is a common treatment option, but its efficacy varies greatly. This study seeks to validate the identified gene signature associated with radiosensitivity in TSCC, and its potential in predicting radiotherapy response and prognosis.Methods: We analyzed 122 TSCC patients from TCGA database using the radiosensitivity signature and classified them into radiosensitive (RS) and radioresistant (RR) groups. Immune infiltration analysis methods were applied to investigate the immune status between different subgroups. Immunophenotype Score (IPS) and pRRophetic algorithm were employed to estimate the efficiency of treatment. A radioresistant TSCC cell line was established by gradually increasing radiation doses. Cell radiosensitivity was evaluated using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The expression of radiosensitivity-related genes was validated by qRT-PCR.Results: Our study validated the predictive capacity of a previously identified "31-gene signature" in the TCGA-TSCC cohort, which effectively stratified patients into RS and RR groups. We observed that the RS group exhibited superior overall survival and progression-free survival rates relative to the RR group when treated with radiotherapy. The RS group was significantly enriched in most immune-related hallmark pathways, and may therefore benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, the RS group displayed lower sensitivity to first-line chemotherapy. A radioresistant TSCC cell line (CAL-27R) exhibited increased clonogenic potential and cell viability following irradiation, accompanied by downregulation of three radiosensitivity-related genes compared to its parental non-resistant cell (CAL-27). In addition, we constructed and validated a radiosensitivity-related PI using 4 radiosensitivity-related genes associated with TSCC prognosis.We assessed the ability of the radiosensitivity gene signature to predict outcomes in TSCC patients. our research provided valuable insights into the molecular pathways associated with radiosensitivity in TSCC and offered clinicians a practical tool to predict patient radiotherapy effectiveness and prognosis.

    Keywords: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma, radiosensitivity, Radiotherapy, prognosis, Prognostic index

    Received: 08 Nov 2023; Accepted: 07 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lai, Yang, Chen, Chen and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Jinzhi Lai, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
    Junjun Chen, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
    Shoubo Chen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China
    Xiaofang Chen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.