Human papillomavirus (HPV) infected epithelial cells and FBLN1+ fibroreticular cells govern the immunogenic tumor microenvironment in HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OPSCC can occur through either the exposure to carcinogens such as alcohol and/or tobacco or high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We used single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HPV-positive OPSCC exhibits distinctive features, with relevance to the interaction between cancer cells and adjacent stromal cells. magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACs) was employed to isolate CD45-negative single cells from the lymphoid tissue, enabling a detailed exploration of the FRC population in OPSCC.