Identification of DSC2 as a Key Biomarker for Induction Chemotherapy Sensitivity in Locally Advanced Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Journal: Journal of chemical information and modeling
Published Date: Jun 9, 2025

Abstract

Patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-LHSCC) urgently need precise treatment strategies to improve the prognosis due to severe laryngeal functional impairment following traditional surgery and chemoradiotherapy. This study focuses on the mechanism of sensitivity to induction chemotherapy (IC), integrating the GSE184072 and TCGA-HNSC data sets to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Combining weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and machine learning methods, including MCC, MCODE, LASSO, SVM-RFE, and Random Forest (RF), the core gene DSC2 (Desmocollin-2) was identified. The results show that DSC2 is significantly highly expressed in the IC-sensitive group with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9111, indicating its high predictive efficacy as a biomarker. Immune infiltration analysis further revealed a significant correlation between DSC2 and the infiltration levels of immune cells such as M1 macrophages, suggesting its potential to influence IC sensitivity by regulating apoptosis and the immune microenvironment. Furthermore, the TCGA clinical data validated the correlation between DSC2 expression and patient survival rates. Our study is the first to establish DSC2 as a pivotal biomarker for IC sensitivity in LA-LHSCC patients, offering a novel avenue for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies and personalized diagnosis and treatment.

Authors

  • Qianyue Yang
    Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
  • Jiayi Liu
    Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Clinical School of Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
  • Zhiwei Lin
    State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China.
  • Shuang Liu
    Key Laboratory for Applied Technology of Sophisticated Analytical Instruments of Shandong Province, Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250014, China.
  • Zhaoming Hu
    Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
  • Xiaowen Zhang
    Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  • Baoqing Sun
    Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.

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