Integrated peripheral blood multi-omics profiling identifies immune signatures predictive of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade efficacy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

Background: Neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor therapy has shown promise in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but only a subset of patients achieves major pathological responses. Liquid biopsy, the analysis of tumor-derived biomarkers in readily accessible bodily fluids (primarily blood), offers significant advantages over traditional tissue biopsies for predicting cancer treatment outcomes. The aim of this study is to develop a predictive model for neoadjuvant PD-1 therapy response in HNSCC patients using exclusively liquid biopsy approaches-namely, peripheral blood immune profiling (CyTOF) and plasma cytokine panels (Olink).

Methods: In a prospective trial involving 50 HNSCC patients treated with neoadjuvant tislelizumab plus chemotherapy, peripheral blood samples were collected pre- and post-treatment. Immune cell subsets were analyzed by mass cytometry (CyTOF), and circulating protein markers were quantified via a 92-plex targeted proteomics panel (Olink). Multimodal features were integrated into a predictive model using logistic regression.

Results: Baseline immune profiles differed significantly between responder (RD) and non-responder (NRD): RD showed higher frequencies of CD103^-CD8⁺ central memory T cells (Tcm, c03) and elevated plasma interleukins (IL-5, IL-13), whereas NRD had more CD28^-TIGIT^highcPARP^-CD8⁺ terminally differentiated effector memory CD45RA⁺ T cells (Temra, c17) and higher levels of chemokines (CCL3, CCL4) and MMP7. Neoadjuvant therapy reactivated both subsets, evidenced by downregulation of PD-1 and increased expression of activation markers (e.g., CD38) and cytotoxic mediators (e.g., granzyme B and interferon γ). A multimodal predictive model incorporating CD8⁺T cell subsets (c03, c17) and plasma biomarkers (IL-5, MMP7) demonstrated superior predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.9219).

Conclusions: Integrated peripheral immune profiling enables robust, noninvasive prediction of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade efficacy in HNSCC. The identified immune cell subsets and plasma biomarkers provide a clinically applicable framework for early response stratification and personalized immunotherapy, supporting liquid biopsy as a viable platform for clinical decision-making. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, clinical trial number CHiCTR2200056354, 04 February 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=151364 .