Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

A gene model has the potential to serve as a prognostic indicator for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a study published in Archives of Oral Biology. 

Researchers sought to investigate the importance of fatty acid oxidation (FAO)-related genes in predicting the progression and prognosis of HNSCC.

This gene prognostic model was established using Cox regression analyses, during which accuracy and sensitivity of the gene model were evaluated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) internal testing and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) external validation cohorts. The model consisted of 13 genes (ABCD2, ACAA1, ACACB, AKT1, CNR1, CPT1C, CROT, ECHDC2, ETFA, HADHB, IRS2, LONP2, and SLC25A17). Based on risk sport, the 2 cohorts were grouped into low-and high-risk groups.

The results of immunohistochemical staining showed that ACAA1 and HADHB were significantly under-expressed in HNSCC, with a favorable prognosis associated with low HADHB and high ACAA1. “The gene prognostic model has illustrated promising capability in predicting the prognosis, and ACAA1 and HADHB might serve as potential therapeutic biomarkers for HNSCC patients,” the researchers concluded.