Head and neck cancer (HNC) is ranked as the sixth most common malignant tumor, and the overall survival rate with current treatment options remains concerning, primarily due to drug resistance that develops following antitumor therapy. Recent studies indicate that non-coding RNAs play a crucial role in drug resistance among HNC patients. This article systematically reviews the current research landscape, explores novel targets and treatment strategies related to non-coding RNAs and HNC resistance, raises some unresolved issues, and discusses five promising research directions in this field: ferroptosis, nanomedicine, exosomes, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and artificial intelligence. We hope that our work will contribute to advancing research on overcoming HNC resistance through the regulation of non-coding RNAs.

OBJECTIVES:It has been demonstrated that artemisinin (ART) possesses multiple immune modulatory effects. However, its role as immunosuppressant in allogeneic transplantation is undetermined. Here, we investigated the effect of ART on co-stimulatory signaling in OX40+ T cells and evaluated ART as a potential immunosuppressant in transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Allogeneic skin transplantation was performed in C57BL/6 to BALB/c mice. Recipient mice were administrated with vehicle, ART or cyclosporine A daily from day 0 to day 19 post transplantation. Proportions of splenic CD4+OX40+ and CD4+CD44hiCD62Lhi cells, and serum IgG was measured by using flow cytometry. An in vitro lymphocyte stimulation with Con A or LPS under various concentrations of ART was performed, expression of CD4+OX40+ and CD4+CD44hiCD62Lhi cells was evaluated, and interleukin(IL)-6 production was measured by ELISA. RESULTS:In in vivo allogeneic skin transplant model, ART significantly prolongs allogeneic skin survival. Furthermore, our in vitro studies demonstrate that the immune suppression of ART on T cells is associated with a reduction in OX40+ T cells and inhibition of IL-6 secretion. CONCLUSION:Our data indicate that the OX40-OX40L pathway and IL-6 are possibly involved in ART-induced immunosuppression, and ART is a potential novel immunosuppressant.

Artemisinin (ART) has been shown to suppress B cell activation and plasma cell formation. However, its effect on splenic marginal zone (MZ) B cells is unknown. Splenic MZ B cells play a critical role in rapidly induced Ab production against blood-borne foreign Ags. Dysfunction of MZ B cells, due to inhibition of its proliferation or displacement of its homing, results in an attenuated adaptive humoral response. Here, we investigate the effect of ART on splenic MZ B (CD19+ CD21high CD23low ) and B10 (CD19+ CD1dhigh CD5+ ) B cells to explore the mechanisms of ART-induced immunosuppression in T cell-deficient nude mice challenged with hamster xenoantigens. In this study, we demonstrate that ART decreases T cell-independent xenogeneic IgM Ab production and, this is associated with a strong suppression of MZ B cell proliferation and a relative increase of CD21low CD23+ follicular and B10 B cells. In addition, this suppression impairs IL-10 production. Taken together, our data indicate that ART suppresses B cell immune responses through a distinctive effect on splenic MZ B and other B cells. This represents a new mechanism of ART-induced immunosuppression.