APOBEC mutagenesis is tightly linked to the immune landscape and immunotherapy biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

HNSCC is an immunologically active tumor with high levels of immune cell infiltration, high mutational burden and a subset of patients who respond to immunotherapy. One of the primary sources of mutations in HNSCC is the cytidine deaminase APOBEC3, which is a known participant in innate immunity. Why particular HNSCCs have higher rates of APOBEC mutations and how these mutations relate to the immune microenvironment remains unknown. Utilizing...