An oxidative stress-related prognostic signature for indicating the immune status of oral squamous cell carcinoma and guiding clinical treatment

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the eighth most common cancer worldwide and presents high mortality. Oxidative stress, caused by reactive oxygen species accumulation, plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and drug resistance. Nevertheless, the specific prognostic and clinical values of oxidative stress-related genes (OSGs) in OSCC remain unclear. Here, we developed an oxidative stress-related prognostic signature according to mRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and evaluated its connections with the prognosis, clinical features, immune status, immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity of OSCC through a series of bioinformatics analyses. Finally, we filtered out six prognostic OSGs to construct a prognostic signature. On the basis of both TCGA-OSCC and GSE41613 cohorts, the signature was proven to be an independent prognostic factor with high accuracy and was confirmed to be an impactful indicator for predicting the prognosis and immune status of patients with OSCC. Additionally, we found that patients with high-risk scores may obtain greater benefit from immune checkpoint therapy compared to those with low-risk scores, and the risk score presented a close interaction with the tumor microenvironment and chemotherapy sensitivity. The prognostic signature may provide a valid and robust predictive tool that could predict the prognosis and immune status and guide clinicians to develop personalized therapeutic strategies for patients with OSCC.

Development and validation of a minimally invasive protocol for assessing oxidative stress markers in exfoliated oral cells

“…12,14,15,24 Moreover, quantifying ROS expression can contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying oral cancer and aid in the development of preventative therapies and treatments. 14,25,41,42 Elevated production and accumulation of ROS within cells can result in oxidative damage, including alterations in ΔΨm. 4,43 Our results showed a significant decrease in the intracellular expression of ΔΨm in oral exfoliated cells exposed to H 2 O 2 compared to non-exposed cells, which is consistent with previous studies.…”

“…Measuring ROS expression within oral cells can be a valuable tool for assessing cellular health and identifying potential oral health risks 12,14,15,24 . Moreover, quantifying ROS expression can contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying oral cancer and aid in the development of preventative therapies and treatments 14,25,41,42 …”

A novel oxidative stress-related genes signature associated with clinical prognosis and immunotherapy responses in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

“…In addition, accumulating evidences indicated that oxidative stress not only associated with tumor progression but also affected both the tumor microenvironment and the immunotherapy responses (23-25). In recent years, many studies focused on constructing prognostic signature for predicting prognosis and sensitivity to treatment of cancers (18)(19)(20)(21). Hence, constructing a risk prognostic signature using ORGs for predicting clinical outcome of ccRCC may be promising.…”

“…Moreover, high levels of ROS also could affect the tumor development through influencing chemotherapeutic resistance and inducing cell apoptosis (15-17). Recent studies have shown that ORGs signature could be used as a biomarker for predicting clinical outcome and treatment responses in many cancers (18)(19)(20)(21). In urologic cancer, ORGs signature was developed for predicting clinical outcome and immune status in patients with bladder cancer (22).…”

Redox Signaling Modulates Activity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Patients

“…Based on mRNA expression data from the TCGA database, Lu et al created an oxidative stress-related prognostic signature and assessed its relationships with OSCC prognosis, clinical characteristics, immunological status, immunotherapy, and medication sensitivity through a number of bioinformatics analysis [201]. The signature was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor with high accuracy and was proven to be a good indicator for predicting the prognosis and immunological state of patients with OSCC on the basis of both the TCGA-OSCC and GSE41613 cohorts.…”