Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41325834›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced research2026

Identification of marginal zone B cells in head and neck cancer with immunomodulatory characteristics.

Jiantong Bao, Jochen Hess, Annika C Betzler, Zhen Zhang, Miltiadis Tsesmelis, Sebastian Schmid, Gaurav Berry, Patrick J Schuler, Jens Greve, Simon Laban and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Jiantong BaoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany; School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Jochen HessDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Annika C BetzlerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Zhen ZhangDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Miltiadis TsesmelisUnit for Single-Cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Sebastian SchmidDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
Gaurav BerryDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Patrick J SchulerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jens GreveDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Simon LabanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Thomas K HoffmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Medhanie MulawUnit for Single-Cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: medhanie.mulaw@uni-ulm.de.
Cornelia BrunnerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Head & Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Core Facility Immune Monitoring, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: cornelia.brunner@uniklinik-ulm.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRecently we observed high numbers of marginal zone B cells (MZBs) within murine head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with immunosuppressive potential. To date, MZBs have not been linked to tumor development or tumor prevention.

objectivesBased on our previous findings the present study aimed to validate the presence of MZB in HNSCC and to investigate their possible implications in tumorigenesis and prognosis.

methodsFlow cytometry was used to uncover MZB within tumors and blood of HNSCC patients. A single-cell RNA sequencing cohort of 118 HNSCC patients across different disease stages and 6 healthy donors (HDs) was compiled. Comparative transcriptomic profiling of B lymphocytes between HNSCC and HDs were performed. Downstream analysis, such as pathway enrichment, cell-cell communication, pseudotime trajectory inference, survival correlation, and spatial transcriptomics were applied.

resultsTwo MZB subsets were revealed in tissues and blood of HNSCC patients and HDs. The tumor-associated MZBs were featured with hypoxia stress and viral-related hallmark genes. MZB-2, characterized by elevated expression of activation markers and immune-regulatory genes, displayed strong interactions with CD4

conclusionOur findings demonstrate an immunomodulatory role of MZBs in tumor immunity, balancing antigen presentation, cytokine signaling, and immune suppression. The association of MZB-2 with improved prognosis in early-stage HNSCC highlights its potential as a beneficial regulator of antitumor immunity during early tumor progression.

Indexed as

B-LymphocytesHead and Neck NeoplasmsImmunomodulationSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisAntigen presentationHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaMarginal zone B cellsMZB-Tfh-GCB axis

Identifiers

PMID41325834
PMCPMC13539160

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.