TTC7B is a new prognostic biomarker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma linked to immune infiltration and ferroptosis

Objective: To investigate the expression of TTC7B and its prognostic significance, biological roles, and impact on the immune system in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Materials and methods: Clinical and genomic data were obtained from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus), GEPIA2 (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2.0), and TIMER2.0 (Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0) databases. R software was utilized to process the retrieved data. qPCR and immunohistochemical assays were performed to validate the findings obtained from the databases.Results: High expression of TTC7B was observed in HNSCC, and this heightened expression is significantly associated with reduced overall survival (OS) in patients, making it an independent risk factor impacting OS. TTC7B is correlated with focal adhesions and cell migration pathways based on functional enrichment analysis. CIBERSORT analysis and TIMER2.0 show a positive link between TTC7B and multiple immune cells, particularly macrophages. Pearson's analysis reveals a significant correlation between TTC7B and ferroptosis-related genes.Conclusion: In all, TTC7B could serve as a promising prognostic indicator of HNSCC, and is closely associated with focal adhesions, immune infiltration, and ferroptosis.