Single-Cell Molecular Profiling of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Reveals Five Dysregulated Signaling Pathways Associated With Circulating Tumor Cells.

Objectives: To determine the dysregulated signaling pathways of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma associated with circulating tumor cells (CTCs) via single-cell molecular characterization.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a significant global burden and is a disease with poor survival. Despite trials exploring new treatment modalities to improve disease control rates, the 5 year survival rate remains low at only 60%. Most cancer malignancies are reported to progress to a fatal phase due to the metastatic activity derived from treatment-resistant cancer cells, regarded as one of the most significant obstacles to develope effective cancer treatment options. However, the molecular profiles of cancer cells have not been thoroughly studied.

Methods: Here, we examined in-situ HNSCC tumors and pairwisely followed up with the downstream circulating tumor cells (CTCs)-based on the surrogate biomarkers to detect metastasis that is established in other cancers - not yet being fully adopted in HNSCC treatment algorithms.

Results: Specifically, we revealed metastatic HNSCC patients have complex CTCs that could be defined through gene expression and mutational gene profiling derived from completed single-cell RNASeq (scRNASeq) that served to confirm molecular pathways inherent in these CTCs. To enhance the reliability of our findings, we cross-validated those molecular profiles with results from previously published studies.

Conclusion: Thus, we identified 5 dysregulated signaling pathways in CTCs to derive HNSCC biomarker panels for screening HNSCC in situ tumors.