Immune cell-related prognostic risk model and tumor immune environment modulation in esophageal carcinoma based on single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Immune cells play a pivotal role in the tumor microenvironment, exerting significant influence on tumor progression and patient outcomes, but the current biomarkers are insufficient to fully capture the complex and diverse tumor immune microenvironment and the impact of immunotherapy. METHODS: The advent of single-cell sequencing allows us to explore the tumor microenvironment at an unprecedented resolution, enabling the identification and characterization of distinct subsets of immune cells, thereby paving the way for the development of prognostic models using immune cells. Leveraging single-cell data, our study deeply investigated the intricacies of immune microenvironment heterogeneity in esophageal carcinoma. RESULTS: We elucidated the composition, functionality, evolution, and intercellular communication patterns of immune cells, culminating in the construction of an independent prognostic model at the single-cell level. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of disparities in immune infiltration and immune checkpoint expression between patients categorized into high- and low-risk groups, which may impact patient prognosis. CONCLUSION: In summary, our study harnessed multiomics data to delineate the immune profile of esophageal carcinoma patients, provide a method for leveraging molecular signatures of immune cells to identify potential biomarkers, while concurrently providing evidence for the potential benefits of immunotherapy.