Unraveling the implications of ULBP1 expression from pan-cancer to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

UL-16 binding protein 1 (ULBP1), a ligand for the NK cell-stimulatory receptor NKG2D, is expressed as a cell-surface protein on malignant cells. While accumulating evidence links ULBP1 to cancer progression, its pan-cancer immunological and clinical significance remains underexplored. Through systematic bioinformatics analyses of 33 malignancies, we uncovered that widespread ULBP1 dysregulation across cancers was associated with advanced tumor staging and patient survival. ROC curve analysis further identified ULBP1 as a robust diagnostic biomarker. Subsequent exploration demonstrated ULBP1’s epigenetic regulation through DNA/RNA methylation and its influence on tumor microenvironment remodeling. Functional validation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) confirmed that ULBP1 overexpression promoted cellular migration, invasion, proliferation in vitro and in vivo, while inhibiting apoptosis, suggesting NK cell-independent oncogenic mechanisms. We discovered that ULBP1 protein was upregulated in HNSCC tissue, induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as activation of the KRAS signaling pathway. Intriguingly, elevated ULBP1 was correlated with improved clinical outcomes following PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy, indicating its potential as a predictive biomarker for checkpoint inhibitor response. This study comprehensively delineates ULBP1’s functional mechanisms across multiple cancers and experimentally validates its oncogenic role in HNSCC.