Multi-omics in immunotherapy research for HNSCC: present situation and future perspectives.

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, significantly impacting patient survival and quality of life. The recent emergence of immunotherapy has provided new hope for HNSCC patients, improving survival rates; however, only 15%-20% of patients benefit, and side effects are inevitable. With advancements in omics technologies and the growing prevalence of bioinformatics research, the immune microenvironment of HNSCC has become increasingly well understood, and the molecular mechanisms underlying immunotherapy responses continue to be elucidated. In this review, we summarize commonly used omics techniques and their applications in the research of HNSCC immunotherapy, including predicting and enhancing efficacy, formulating personalized treatment plans, establishing robust preclinical research models, and identifying new immunotherapy targets. Finally, we explore future perspective in terms of sequencing samples, data integration analysis, emerging technologies, clinicopathological features, and interdisciplinary approaches.