Abstract
Among cancer treatments, immunotherapy is considered a promising strategy. Nonetheless, only a small number of individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma exhibit positive responses to immunotherapy. This study aims to discover possible antigens for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, create an mRNA vaccine for this type of cancer, investigate the connection between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and periodontal disease, and determine the immune subtype of cells affected by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. To ascertain gene expression profiles and clinical data corresponding to them, an examination was carried out on the TCGA database. Antigen-presenting cells were detected using TIMER. Targeting six immune-related genes (CXCL5, ADM, FGF9, AIMP1, STC1, and CDKN2A) in individuals diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma has shown promising results in immunotherapy triggered by periodontal disease. These genes have been linked to improved prognosis and increased immune cell infiltration. Additionally, CXCL5, ADM, FGF9, AIMP1, STC1, and CDKN2A exhibited potential as antigens in the creation of an mRNA vaccine. A nomogram model containing ADM expression and tumor stage was constructed for clinical practice. To summarize, ADM shows potential as a candidate biomarker for predicting the prognosis, molecular features, and immune characteristics of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Our results, obtained through real-time PCR analysis, showed a significant upregulation of ADM in the SCC-25 cell line compared to the NOK-SI cell line. This suggests that ADM might be implicated in the pathogenesis of HNSC, highlighting the potential of ADM as a target in HNSC treatment. However, further research is needed to elucidate the functional role of ADM in HNSC. Our findings provide a basis for the further exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying HNSC and could help develop novel therapeutic strategies.