Work

COL11A2 Methylation as a Biomarker for Radiosensitivity and Microenvironment Remodelling in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: • COL11A2 methylation is strongly associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patient prognosis. • COL11A2 methylation shows potential to predict radiotherapy response and is linked to immune infiltration in OSCC. • COL11A2 methylation represents a potential noninvasive prognostic tool for early OSCC. • Unveiling the mechanism linking COL11A2 methylation to tumour microenvironment remodelling and radiosensitivity holds promise for new therapeutic strategies. Given that DNA methylation and the tumour microenvironment (TME) are both key contributors to tumour radiosensitivity, we aimed to identify specific differential DNA methylation patterns associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) prognosis and TME changes after radiation. Differential methylation analysis was conducted using the Tissue Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Differential methylation positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified between normal oral tissue and OSCC tissue. For screening and validating differentially methylated genes, interaction analysis, Kaplan–Meier (K–M) survival curves, Cox proportional hazards models, and linear regression were performed. Spline smoothing was used to analyse the correlation between XI collagen alpha-2 chain (COL11A2) methylation and overall survival post-radiotherapy. CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms were used to correlate COL11A2 methylation with immune infiltrates, following GSEA analysis to evaluate biological processes. COL11A2 was identified from the top 10 DMPs and DMRs intersection. COL11A2 methylation showed a nonlinear relationship with OSCC survival, with two inflection points at β = 0.23 ( P = .3430) and β = 0.35 ( P = .0520). The K-M curve showed that COL11A2 methylation was negatively correlated with OSCC survival ( P = .0458). The diagnostic association map revealed that radiotherapy was correlated with OSCC prognosis ( P = .0202), with high methylation linked to better outcomes. High COL11A2 methylation was associated with increased immune cell infiltration, such as CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells. Enrichment analysis using DAVID identified the Hippo signalling pathway ( P = .00001), TRP ( P = .00014), and HPV signalling pathways ( P = .00022) as significantly associated with COL11A2 methylation. COL11A2 methylation level shows promise as a predictor for post-radiotherapy prognosis in OSCC, potentially through its influence on immune cell infiltration and key signalling pathways. Further experiments are needed to confirm its role and mechanism.

Source: International Dental Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2026.109429

Authors: Muci Liu, Daoming Fan, Weiru Cheng, Yangfan Liu, Yu Sun

Institution: Hainan Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Head and Neck Cancer Studies

Subfield: Otorhinolaryngology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,550