Impact of COL11A1 Mutations on Tumor Mutational Signatures and Immune Microenvironment in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Targeted immunotherapy can significantly improve the survival rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients; however, only a minority of patients respond favorably to such treatments. In this study, we investigate the association between the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and clinical characteristics of HNSCC, as well as the impact of COL11A1 gene mutations on the immune microenvironment in head and neck cancer (HNC). In our analysis of HNSCC patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we found significant differences in TMB across various clinical features. Furthermore, a high TMB was associated with poorer survival outcomes. Despite its relatively high mutation frequency, the clinical significance of COL11A1 has not been fully explored. Our analysis of COL11A1 mutations in HNSCC and their functional impact found that COL11A1 mutations are associated with poor survival outcomes. Additionally, we observed a close correlation between COL11A1 mutations, reduced immune cell infiltration, and altered expression levels of chemokines. Further enrichment analysis suggested that COL11A1 mutations may alter the tumor immune microenvironment by affecting immune-related pathways, such as leukocyte activation and chemokine signaling. Finally, we evaluated the effect of the COL11A1 mutation on immune infiltration. Using a variety of immune infiltration algorithms, we found that the mutation of COL11A1 was associated with lower levels of immune cell infiltration. In summary, the present study explored the potential role of COL11A1 mutation in the progression of HNSCC, and our findings provide a potential therapeutic target for better therapeutic outcomes in HNSCC.