Comprehensive analyses reveal the promising value of gasdermins as prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

In several studies of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), the regulation of tumorigenesis and therapeutic sensitivity by pyroptosis has been observed. However, a systematic analysis of gasdermin family members (GSDMs, including GSDMA/B/C/D/E and PJVK), which are deterministic executors of pyroptosis, has not yet been reported in HNSC. We performed comprehensive analyses of the expression profile, prognostic value, regulatory network, and immune infiltration modulation of GSDMs in HNSC on the basis of a computational approach and bioinformatic analysis of publicly available datasets. A total of 18.65 % (94/504) of HNSC patients harbored GSDM alterations, with the most dominant type being amplification. Compared with those in normal tissues, the mRNA and protein levels of GSDMs, especially GSDMD/E, were commonly elevated in HNSC (P