Expression profile of GSDMB in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its impact on tumor immune microenvironment and prognosis

Sep 22, 2026

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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains challenging due to drug resistance and recurrence, and its progression is shaped by genetic alterations and the tumor immune microenvironment. Gasdermin B (GSDMB) regulates cell death and immune responses, yet its role in OSCC is unclear. This study maps GSDMB expression using multi-omics, links it to TMB, immunity, and prognosis, and validates effects on 5-fluorouracil sensitivity under GSDMB knockdown.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Expression and clinical associations

Tumor mutation burden and survival

Immune landscape and immune function

Drug sensitivity and in vitro validation

Conclusion

Keywords

Introduction

Cui etal. BMCOral Health (2026) 26:372 BMC Oral Health [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-026-07781-1](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-026-07781-1) RESEARCH Open Access Expression profile of GSDMB in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its impact on tumor immune microenvironment and prognosis Zifeng Cui1, Yan Gao1, Kaicheng Yang1 and Zhiming Dong2* Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors ofthe head and neck region worldwide, with its development influenced by a multitude offactors such as genetic mutations and the immune microenvironment. Despite the availability of current treatment options, issues like drug resistance and recurrence persist. The Gasdermin B (GSDMB) gene encodes the protein Gasdermin B which exhibits complex biological functions in various cancers, notably playing a significant role in cell death and immune responses. However, the role of GSDMB in OSCC remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the expression profile of GSDMB in OSCC and its potential biological functions. Methods This study employs a bioinformatics approach to analyze the expression landscape of GSDMB in OSCC based on multi-omics data. Initially, we analyzed the expression of GSDMB across pan-cancer types and categorized OSCC samples into high and low-expression groups according to the median expression value. Subsequently, differences between these two groups concerning tumor mutation burden (TMB), immune microenvironment, insilico drug sensitivity analysis, and prognosis were explored. Additionally, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics data (stRNA-seq) were utilized to analyze the expression characteristics of GSDMB across different cell types. To further support the computational prediction, in vitro 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) sensitivity assays were performed in SCC25 cells with or without GSDMB knockdown. Results The expression of GSDMB was significantly higher in OSCC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues, with significant differences observed across tumor grades, age groups, and N stages. The TMB was significantly higher in the high-expression group than in the low-expression group, showing a positive correlation between GSDMB expression levels and TMB. Survival analysis revealed that patients in the high-TMB group had significantly lower survival rates compared to those in the low-TMB group, while high GSDMB expression correlated with poorer prognosis. Immune landscape analysis indicated higher infiltration levels of CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells in the high-expression group, along with enhanced immune functions such as antigen presentation, cytotoxic activity, and immune checkpoint activity. In silico drug sensitivity analysis suggested that patients with high GSDMB expression may be more responsive to multiple anticancer agents. Consistently, in SCC25 cells, GSDMB knockdown significantly increased the IC50 of 5-FU, indicating reduced chemosensitivity upon GSDMB depletion. Furthermore, scRNA-seq *Correspondence: Zhiming Dong [dongzhiming2000@hebmu.edu.cn](dongzhiming2000@hebmu.edu.cn) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s

FAQs

What was the study’s goal regarding GSDMB in OSCC?

To define the expression profile of GSDMB in OSCC and evaluate its potential biological functions, including links to tumor immunity and patient prognosis.

How did the study analyze GSDMB expression and compare OSCC groups?

It used a bioinformatics approach on multi-omics data, dividing OSCC samples into high- and low-expression groups by the median GSDMB expression level and comparing TMB, immune microenvironment features, drug sensitivity, and survival outcomes.

How is GSDMB expression associated with tumor immunity and treatment response?

Higher GSDMB expression correlated with increased infiltration of CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells and enhanced immune-related activities, and in silico analyses suggested greater responsiveness to multiple anticancer agents; in SCC25 cells, GSDMB knockdown reduced chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Miles