Immune and Stem Cell Profiling in NPC

The prevalence of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) is higher in Saudi Arabia than in Western countries. Both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors—such as smoking and infection with the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)—contribute to the development of this malignancy. Locally advanced NPC (LA-NPC), defined as stage III or IV disease, represents the most common presentation of NPC in Saudi Arabia. Although the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system is widely used across cancer types, it remains inadequate for accurately predicting the prognosis of LA-NPC.

The aim of this project is to identify novel prognostic factors for LA-NPC. In the emerging era of cancer immunotherapy, there is a growing need to define prognostic factors using immune-relevant biomarkers. While several immune markers have been proposed, the most robust, accessible, and cost-effective marker remains unclear. Moreover, cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subpopulation of tumor cells with self-renewal capacity and are associated with therapy resistance and metastatic potential. However, the prognostic significance of CSC-related markers in LA-NPC has not been established.

In this proposal, we aim to evaluate the prognostic value of immune- and CSC-related markers in LA-NPC. Identifying high-risk patients through novel prognostic factors could guide treatment intensification and inform strategies to improve patient outcomes.