Comprehensive analysis of the prognosis and biological significance of ROR in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Recent studies have shown that abnormal expression of the core circadian clock gene, retinoic acid-related orphan receptor beta (ROR beta), is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of various malignant tumors. However, the expression and function of ROR beta in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. Here, we comprehensively investigated the altered expression, clinical significance, prognostic value, and biological functions of ROR beta in HNSC, as well as its correlation with changes in the tumor immune microenvironment. We found that ROR beta expression was decreased in HNSC and 19 other cancers. Low ROR beta expression was significantly associated with tumor size, clinical stage, and survival time in HNSC patients, indicating that it may have diagnostic and prognostic value in HNSCC. Epigenetic analysis showed that the promoter methylation level of ROR beta was significantly higher in HNSCC compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues. Furthermore, ROR beta hypermethylation was significantly associated with low expression levels of ROR beta and poor prognosis in HNSCC patients (p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis found that ROR beta was involved in immune system regulation and T-cell activation, as well as the PI3K/AKT and ECM receptors interaction pathways. In vitro assays revealed that ROR beta regulated the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of HNSCC cells. Additionally, we found that ROR beta expression was significantly correlated with changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting it may affect prognosis by regulating immune infiltration in HNSC patients. Therefore, ROR beta may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC patients.