Neuropilin-1 Expression Associates with Poor Prognosis in HNSCC and Elicits EGFR Activation upon CDDP-Induced Cytotoxic Stress.

ABSTRACT: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) includes a group of aggressive malignancies characterized by the overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in 90% of cases. Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) acts as an EGFR co-receptor, enhancing, upon ligand stimulation, EGFR signaling in several cellular models. However, NRP-1 remains poorly characterized in HNSCC. By utilizing in vitro cellular models of HNSCC, we report that NRP-1 is involved in the regulation of EGFR signaling. In fact, NRP-1 can lead to cisplatin-induced EGFR phosphorylation, an escape mechanism activated by cancer cells upon cytotoxic stress. Furthermore, we evaluated Neuropilin-1 staining in tissue samples of an HNSCC case series (n = 218), unraveling a prognostic value for the Neuropilin-1 tissue expression. Th

SUBMITTER: Napolitano V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8345038 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature