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Multifaceted Deregulations during Head and Neck Tumorigenesis and Its Application...
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Multifaceted Deregulations during Head and Neck Tumorigenesis and Its Application for Cancer Therapeutics

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2024) | Viewed by 3652

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wan-Chun Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
Interests: head and neck cancer; tumor metabolism; diabetes; mitochondria; treatment resistance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Head and neck cancers, the seventh most common cancer worldwide, are a diverse group of malignancies that arise from oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, and paranasal sinuses. Despite many efforts to explore the methods of early detection and effective treatments, the prognosis of head and neck cancer remains poor. The deregulated interplay of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors contributes to the development and progression of head and neck tumorigenesis. A better understanding of these multifaceted dysregulations at the cellular and molecular basis is crucial for developing better cancer therapeutics.

Recent advances in understanding the regulatory role of the microenvironment during head and neck carcinogenesis have been extensively investigated. For instance, it has become clear that the surrounding immune cell network creates a favorable environment for cancer cells to grow and metastasize. Taking advantage of the findings from this subject is likely to enhance the immunotherapeutic efficacy for head and neck cancer patients in clinic.

This Special Issue therefore seeks to highlight the importance of multifaceted deregulations during head and neck tumorigenesis, with the aim of developing effective treatments. Submissions of basic, translational, and clinical (with biomolecular experiments) research or review articles are all welcome.

Dr. Wan-Chun Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • head and neck cancer
  • cancer metabolism
  • non-coding RNA
  • chemoradiotherapy
  • immunotherapy
  • therapeutic resistance
  • tumor microenvironment
  • organoid
  • drug screening

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2410 KiB  
Article
Could MMP3 and MMP9 Serve as Biomarkers in EBV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
by Anna Polz, Kamal Morshed, Bartłomiej Drop and Małgorzata Polz-Dacewicz
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2561; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052561 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 814
Abstract
The high incidence of, and mortality from, head and neck cancers (HNCs), including those related to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), constitute a major challenge for modern medicine, both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, many researchers have made efforts to identify diagnostic and [...] Read more.
The high incidence of, and mortality from, head and neck cancers (HNCs), including those related to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), constitute a major challenge for modern medicine, both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, many researchers have made efforts to identify diagnostic and prognostic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP 3) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP 9) in EBV positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients. For this purpose, the level of these MMPs in the serum of patients with EBV-positive OPSCC was analyzed in relation to the degree of histological differentiation and TNM classification. Our research team’s results indicate that the level of both MMPs is much higher in the EBV positive OPSCC patients compared to the EBV negative and control groups. Moreover, their levels were higher in more advanced clinical stages. Considering the possible correlation between the level of MMP 3, MMP 9 and anti-EBV antibodies, and also viral load, after statistical analysis using multiple linear regression, their high correlation was demonstrated. The obtained results confirm the diagnostic accuracy for MMP 3 and MMP 9. Both MMPs may be useful in the diagnosis of EBV positive OPSCC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifaceted Deregulations during Head and Neck Tumorigenesis and Its Application for Cancer Therapeutics)
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15 pages, 21208 KiB  
Article
Cold Atmospheric Plasma Jet Irradiation Decreases the Survival and the Expression of Oncogenic miRNAs of Oral Carcinoma Cells
by Yun-Chien Cheng, Kuo-Wei Chang, Jian-Hua Pan, Chao-Yu Chen, Chung-Hsien Chou, Hsi-Feng Tu, Wan-Chun Li and Shu-Chun Lin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16662; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316662 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1235
Abstract
Despite recent advancements, therapies against advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain ineffective, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) offers a promising approach in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Although the effects of CAP in abrogating OSCC have been explored, [...] Read more.
Despite recent advancements, therapies against advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain ineffective, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) offers a promising approach in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Although the effects of CAP in abrogating OSCC have been explored, the exact mechanisms driving CAP-induced cancer cell death and the changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression are not fully understood. We fabricated and calibrated an argon-CAP device to explore the effects of CAP irradiation on the growth and expression of oncogenic miRNAs in OSCC. The analysis revealed that, in OSCC cell lines following CAP irradiation, there was a significant reduction in viability; a downregulation of miR-21, miR-31, miR-134, miR-146a, and miR-211 expression; and an inactivation of the v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals. Pretreatment with blockers of apoptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis synergistically reduced CAP-induced cell death, indicating a combined induction of variable death pathways via CAP. Combined treatments using death inhibitors and miRNA mimics, alongside the activation of AKT and ERK following the exogenous expression, counteracted the cell mortality associated with CAP. The CAP-induced downregulation of miR-21, miR-31, miR-187, and miR-211 expression was rescued through survival signaling. Additionally, CAP irradiation notably inhibited the growth of SAS OSCC cell xenografts on nude mice. The reduced expression of oncogenic miRNAs in vivo aligned with in vitro findings. In conclusion, our study provides new lines of evidence demonstrating that CAP irradiation diminishes OSCC cell viability by abrogating survival signals and oncogenic miRNA expression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifaceted Deregulations during Head and Neck Tumorigenesis and Its Application for Cancer Therapeutics)
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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 3720 KiB  
Article
Pyruvate Kinase Differentially Alters Metabolic Signatures during Head and Neck Carcinogenesis
by Pei-Chun Huang, Ching-Wen Chang, Yu-Cheng Lin, Chang-Yi Chen, Tsai-Ying Chen, Lu-Te Chuang, Chung-Ji Liu, Chien-Ling Huang and Wan-Chun Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16639; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316639 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1070
Abstract
During glycolysis, the muscle isoform of pyruvate kinase PKM2 produces ATP in exchange for dephosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate. PKM2 has been considered as a tumor-promoting factor in most cancers, whereas the regulatory role of PKM2 during head and neck carcinogenesis remained [...] Read more.
During glycolysis, the muscle isoform of pyruvate kinase PKM2 produces ATP in exchange for dephosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate. PKM2 has been considered as a tumor-promoting factor in most cancers, whereas the regulatory role of PKM2 during head and neck carcinogenesis remained to be delineated. PKM2 mRNA and protein expression was examined in head and neck tumorous specimens. The role of PKM2 in controlling cellular malignancy was determined in shRNA-mediated PKM2-deficient head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) cells. In agreement with the results in other cancers, PKM2 expression is enriched in both mouse and human HNSC tissues. Nevertheless, PKM2 mRNA expression reversely correlated with tumor stage, and greater recurrence-free survival rates are evident in the PKM2high HNSC population, arguing that PKM2 may be tumor-suppressive. Multifaceted analyses showed a greater in vivo xenografic tumor growth and an enhanced cisplatin resistance in response to PKM2 loss, whereas PKM2 silencing led to reduced cell motility. At the molecular level, metabolic shifts towards mitochondrial metabolism and activation of oncogenic Protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals were detected in PKM2-silencing HNSC cells. In sum, our findings demonstrated that PKM2 differentially modulated head and neck tumorigenicity via metabolic reprogramming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifaceted Deregulations during Head and Neck Tumorigenesis and Its Application for Cancer Therapeutics)
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