Human Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (human + head_and_neck_squamous_cell_carcinoma)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Cytotoxicity and antiangiogenesis by fibroblast growth factor 2,targeted Ad-TK cancer gene therapy,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 4 2009
Koichiro Saito MD
Abstract Objectives: Human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in addition to lung, skin, ovarian, and other cancers overexpress fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors on both individual tumor cells and endothelial cells within the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether FGF2-targeted gene therapy could redirect adenoviral vectors encoding the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (Ad-TK) to FGF receptors on tumor and endothelial cells with the intent of improving both the efficiency of transgene expression and the antitumor response. Study Design and Methods: An Ad-TK vector consisting of a conjugate of FGF2 linked to a Fab, fragment against the adenoviral knob region was directly delivered to human HNSCC xenograft tumors in nude mice, which were subsequently dosed with ganciclovir. Tumor specimens were assessed for herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV- tk) transgene mRNA expression, FGF1/2 receptor expression, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin,deoxy uridine triphosphate nick end labeling assay for apoptosis, CD31 immunohistochemistry to estimate tumor microvessel density, and tumor volume change. Results: FGF2-retargeted Ad-TK gene therapy demonstrated significant increases in both HSV- tk mRNA expression and cellular apoptosis levels, and a significant decrease in tumor volume size compared with all other groups. Furthermore, microvessel density was significantly lower in the FGF2-retargeted Ad-TK group, indicating a strong antiangiogenesis effect. Conclusions: These data suggest that FGF2-retargeted Ad-TK produces a combination of expected direct antitumor cytotoxicity and a newly reported antiangiogenesis effect that could prove promising as a novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of FGF receptor,expressing cancers. Laryngoscope, 2009 [source]


Common single nucleotide polymorphism of hypoxia-inducible factor-1, and its impact on the clinicopathological features of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

JOURNAL OF DIGESTIVE DISEASES, Issue 4 2005
Ting Sheng LING
OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis is one of the most important molecular events in solid tumor development and growth, in which hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1, is a key regulator and plays an important role. Studies have shown that a single nucleotide polymorphism (C1772T) in the HIF-1, gene exerts a large effect on the phenotype of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. But the impact of the C1772T polymorphism on the clinicopathological features of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown, and thus it is the main focus of our study. METHODS: The C1772T genotype of 95 ESCC patients and 104 healthy controls were studied by using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Mutations were confirmed by direct DNA sequencing. The impact of C1772T on tumor size, invasive depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, histological grade and TNM stage was also studied. RESULTS: The genotype frequency observed in the patients and controls was 11.58% versus 10.58%, respectively, for genotype C/T (P > 0.05). Genotype T/T was not found in our study. Larger tumors and a higher rate of lymph node metastasis was found for the C/T group. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no significant difference of genotype distribution between ESCC patients and healthy controls, genotype C/T is associated with larger tumor and higher rate of lymph node metastasis. [source]


Frequent overexpression of multiple ErbB receptors by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma contrasts with rare antibody immunity in patients

THE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Roberto Bei
Abstract In an effort to elucidate the role of ErbB receptors in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), expression abnormalities and subcellular localization of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4 were investigated along with EGF and tenascin by immunohistochemistry in 38 carcinomas as compared to adjacent normal mucosa of 24 cases. Although tumour-specific overexpression affected each ErbB receptor (EGFR 47%, ErbB2 29%, ErbB3 21%, ErbB4 26%), EGFR abnormalities were most prevalent. The latter, and overexpression of more than two ErbB receptors in the same tumour, which always included EGFR, correlated with metastatic disease. ErbB products were specifically detected on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. In contrast, ErbB4 was uniquely localized to the nucleus in 7 carcinomas and a tumour-derived cell line, indicating a role for regulated intramembrane proteolysis resulting in nuclear ErbB4 translocation in HNSCC. Expression of prototype ligand EGF or low-affinity stromal activator tenascin correlated significantly with EGFR overexpression, implying chronic EGFR activation. Simultaneous overexpression of additional ErbB receptors in most of these cases suggested recurrent involvement of receptor heterodimers. In spite of frequent ErbB receptor alterations, autologous ErbB serum antibodies were rare, with only 1 of 38 tumour patients exhibiting an ErbB2-specific immune response. Based on upregulation of several known immunosuppressive molecules, scarcity of ErbB-specific antibodies is consistent with attenuation of natural tumour-specific immune responses in HNSCC. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Expression of Drug Resistance-related Genes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Normal Mucosa

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2000
Shitau Hirata
We examined the expression levels of mRNA for multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), human canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT), lung resistance-related protein (LRP), topoisomerase II,, ,(Topo II,, ,) and topoisomerase I (Topo I) genes in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) specimens and mucosa (HNM) specimens, to elucidate their roles in relation to the biological characteristics and drug resistance in vivo. Fifty-eight samples (45 head and neck carcinomas and 13 head and neck mucosa) obtained during surgical resection or biopsy from 38 patients were analyzed using the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. MDR1, MRP, LRP, Topo II,, Topo II,, and Topo I gene transcripts were detected in all the samples tested, but cMOAT mRNA was not detected in them. Comparisons of the expression levels in HNSCC with those in HNM showed that the Topo II, gene expression level was higher in HNSCC than in HNM (P=0.0298). Moreover, the Topo II, mRNA level was significantly higher in metastatic lymph node samples of HNSCC than in HNM samples (P=0.0205). There were no significant differences in the six genes' expression levels between samples exposed to platinum drugs and those not exposed to platinum drugs. These results suggest that it may be effective in anticancer therapy to use topoisomerase-targetting drugs against HNSCC, especially metastatic neck tumors, and that the expression of these genes in HNSCC is not associated with platinum drug exposure. [source]


Mouse models for human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 10 2006
Shi-Long Lu MD
Abstract Mouse models of human cancer play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and have accelerated the search for finding new molecular targets for cancer therapy. However, genetically engineered mouse models for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have only recently overcome major technical obstacles and begun to be explored. Here we review the current progress in the development of mouse models for human HNSCC, with emphasis on conditional transgenic and knockout mouse models. These new models faithfully recapitulate human HNSCC at both the pathologic and molecular levels. These animal models will not only be useful to define the roles of specific genes in HNSCC development and progression but will also provide a unique tool for developing and testing new therapeutic approaches. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2006 [source]