Cancer stem cells in head and neck cancer.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Picon H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8449141 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundSeveral nano formulations of silver nanoparticles with bioconjugates, herbal extracts and anti-cancerous drug coating have been vividly studied to target cancer. Despite of such extensive studies, AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) have not reached the stage of clinical use. Out of all possible reasons for this failure, the unexplored effect on Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) population and mechanism of action of AgNPs, are the most plausible ones and are worked upon in this study.MethodsAgNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction method using sodium citrate and characterized by UV, FTIR, XRD and electron microscopy. CSC population was isolated from Cal33 cell line by MACS technique. MTT assay, trypan blue exclusion assay, Annexin V and PI based apoptosis assay and cell cycle assay were performed.ResultsThe results showed that synthesized AgNPs have cytotoxic activity on all cancer cell lines tested with the IC50 value of a wide range (1.5-49.21 µg/ml for cell lines and 0.0643-0.1211 µg/ml for splenocytes and thymocytes). CSCs Cal33 showed higher resistance to AgNP treatment and arrest in G1/G0 phase upon cell cycle analysis.ConclusionAgNPs as an anti-cancer agent although have great potential but is limited by its off-target effects on normal cells and less effective on cancer stem cells at lower concentrations.
| S-EPMC10758978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the world. HNSCC remains difficult to treat, and despite advances in treatment, overall survival rate has modestly improved over the past several years. Poor survival rate is attributed to high frequency of local recurrence and distant metastasis. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) have been implicated in tumor recurrence and confer resistance to anti-cancer therapy treatment. In this study, we have characterized genes that are modulated in HNSCC-CSCs and can be targeted in future as potential therapeutics. CSCs were isolated from HNSCC cells (oralspheres) and examined for tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mice. We observed aggressive tumor growth with oralspheres as compared to parental cells. The CSC-derived tumors were grossly extremely vascularized and expressed VEGFR1. We next analyzed the molecular determinant of oralspheres. In addition to CD133 and Nanog, we observed significant higher expression of Notch1 protein in the oralspheres. There was differential expression of angiogenesis and invasive marker genes such as angiopoietin1, integrin β3, MMP9 and THBS1. Interestingly, c-Fos was upregulated in oralspheres as compared to parental cells. Our observations suggest that understanding the molecular determinant of oralspheres will help in developing future therapeutic modalities against treatment resistant HNSCC.
| S-EPMC4295111 | biostudies-other
Project description:Cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, comprise a subset of tumor cells with demonstrated ability for tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation. Targeting of CSCs remains an attractive yet elusive therapeutic option, with the goal of increasing specificity and effectiveness in tumor eradication, as well as decreasing off-target or systemic toxicity. Research into further characterization and targeted therapy toward head and neck CSCs is an active and rapidly evolving field. This review discusses the current state of research into therapy against head and neck CSCs and future directions for targeted therapy.
| S-EPMC5469447 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The dismal prognosis of locally advanced and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is primarily due to the development of resistance to chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Deregulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling is involved in HNSCC pathogenesis by regulating cell survival, cancer stem cells (CSCs), and resistance to CRT. Here we investigated the radiosensitizing activity of the pan-EGFR inhibitor afatinib in HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed strong antiproliferative effects of afatinib in HNSCC SCC1 and SCC10B cells, compared to immortalized normal oral epithelial cells MOE1a and MOE1b. Comparative analysis revealed stronger antitumor effects with afatinib than observed with erlotinib. Furthermore, afatinib enhanced in vitro radiosensitivity of SCC1 and SCC10B cells by inducing mesenchymal to epithelial transition, G1 cell cycle arrest, and the attenuating ionizing radiation (IR)-induced activation of DNA double strand break repair (DSB) ATM/ATR/CHK2/BRCA1 pathway. Our studies also revealed the effect of afatinib on tumor sphere- and colony-forming capabilities of cancer stem cells (CSCs), and decreased IR-induced CSC population in SCC1 and SCC10B cells. Furthermore, we observed that a combination of afatinib with IR significantly reduced SCC1 xenograft tumors (median weight of 168.25 ± 20.85 mg; p = 0.05) compared to afatinib (280.07 ± 20.54 mg) or IR alone (324.91 ± 28.08 mg). Immunohistochemical analysis of SCC1 tumor xenografts demonstrated downregulation of the expression of IR-induced pEGFR1, ALDH1 and upregulation of phosphorylated γH2AX by afatinib. Overall, afatinib reduces tumorigenicity and radiosensitizes HNSCC cells. It holds promise for future clinical development as a novel radiosensitizer by improving CSC eradication.
| S-EPMC5400558 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Recent evidence suggests that head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) harbor a small subpopulation of highly tumorigenic cells, designated cancer stem cells. A limiting factor in cancer stem cell research is the intrinsic difficulty of expanding cells in an undifferentiated state in vitro. METHODS:Here, we describe the development of the orosphere assay, a method for the study of putative head and neck cancer stem cells. An orosphere is defined as a nonadherent colony of cells sorted from primary HNSCCs or from HNSCC cell lines and cultured in 3-dimensional soft agar or ultralow attachment plates. Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and CD44 expression were used here as stem cell markers. RESULTS:This assay allowed for the propagation of head and neck cancer cells that retained stemness and self-renewal. CONCLUSION:The orosphere assay is well suited for studies designed to understand the pathobiology of head and neck cancer stem cells.
| S-EPMC3887391 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have poor prognosis with less than 1-year median survival. Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the first-line treatment for HNSCC. The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis postulates that tumors are maintained by a self-renewing CSC population that is also capable of differentiating into non-self renewing cell populations that constitute the bulk of the tumor. A small population of CSC exists within HNSCC that are relatively resistant to chemotherapy and clinically predicted to contribute to tumor recurrence. These head and neck CSCs (HNCSC) are identified by high cell-surface expression of CD44 and high intracellular activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and termed ALDHhighCD44high. Here, we performed microarray analysis in two HNSCC cell lines (UM-SCC-1, UM-SCC-22B) to investigate molecular pathways active in untreated and cisplatin-resistant ALDHhighCD44high cells. Gene set enrichment analysis and iPathway analysis identified signaling pathways with major implications to the pathobiology of cancer (e.g. TNF?, IFN, IL6/STAT, NF-?B) that are enriched in cisplatin-resistant ALDHhighCD44high cells, when compared to control cells. FGF2 was also enriched in cisplatin-resistant ALDHhighCD44high, which was confirmed by ELISA analysis. Inhibition of FGF signaling using BGJ398, a pan-FGF receptor (FGFR) small-molecule inhibitor, decreased ALDHhighCD44high alone in UM-SCC-1 and preferentially targeted cisplatin-resistant ALDHhighCD44high cells in UM-SCC-22B. These findings suggest that FGFR signaling might play an important role in the resistance of head and neck CSC to cisplatin. Collectively, this work suggests that some head and neck cancer patients might benefit from the combination of cisplatin and a FGFR inhibitor.
| S-EPMC5982758 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations within moderately differentiated head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (MDHNcSCC) express the components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). This study investigated the expression of cathepsins B, D, and G, which constitute bypass loops of the RAS, by CSCs in MDHNcSCC.MethodsImmunohistochemical staining was performed on MDHNcSCC tissue samples from 15 patients to determine the expression of cathepsins B, D, and G. Co-localization of these cathepsins with the embryonic stem cell markers Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) and c-MYC was investigated with immunofluorescence staining. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed on 5 MDHNcSCC tissue samples to investigate transcript expression of cathepsins B, D and G. Western blotting and enzymatic activity assays were performed on 5 MDHNcSCC tissue samples and 6 MDHNcSCC-derived primary cell lines to confirm protein expression, transcript expression, and functional activity of these cathepsins, respectively.ResultsImmunohistochemical staining demonstrated the expression of cathepsins B, D, and G in all MDHNcSCC tissue samples. Immunofluorescence staining showed localization of cathepsins B and D to the c-MYC+ CSC subpopulations and the OCT4+ CSC subpopulations within the tumor nests and the peritumoral stroma. Cathepsin G was expressed on the tryptase+/c-MYC+ cells within the peritumoral stroma. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated transcript expression of cathepsins B, D and G in the MDHNcSCC tissue samples. Western blotting and enzymatic activity assays confirmed protein expression and functional activity of cathepsins B and D in the MDHNcSCC tissue samples and MDHNcSCC-derived primary cell lines, respectively.ConclusionsCathepsins B, D, and G are expressed in MDHNcSCC with functionally active cathepsins B and D localizing to the CSC subpopulations, and cathepsin G is expressed by mast cells, suggesting the potential use of cathepsin inhibitors in addition to RAS blockade to target CSCs in MDHNcSCC.
| S-EPMC7489689 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We have an incomplete understanding of the differences between cancer stem cells (CSCs) in human papillomavirus-positive (HPV-positive) and -negative (HPV-negative) head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). The PI3K pathway has the most frequent activating genetic events in HNSCC (especially HPV-positive driven), but the differential signaling between CSCs and non-CSCs is also unknown. We addressed these unresolved questions using CSCs identified from 10 HNSCC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Sored populations were serially passaged in nude mice to evaluate tumorigenicity and tumor recapitulation. The transcription profile of HNSCC CSCs was characterized by mRNA sequencing, and the susceptibility of CSCs to therapy was investigated using an in vivo model. SOX2 transcriptional activity was used to follow the asymmetric division of PDX-derived CSCs. All statistical tests were two-sided. CSCs were enriched by high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and CD44 expression and were similar between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cases (percent tumor formation injecting ≤ 1x10(3) cells: ALDH(+)CD44(high) = 65.8%, ALDH(-)CD44(high) = 33.1%, ALDH(+)CD44(high) = 20.0%; and injecting 1x10(5) cells: ALDH(-)CD44(low) = 4.4%). CSCs were resistant to conventional therapy and had PI3K/mTOR pathway overexpression (GSEA pathway enrichment, P < .001), and PI3K inhibition in vivo decreased their tumorigenicity (40.0%-100.0% across cases). PI3K/mTOR directly regulated SOX2 protein levels, and SOX2 in turn activated ALDH1A1 (P < .001 013C and 067C) expression and ALDH activity (ALDH(+) [%] empty-control vs SOX2, 0.4% ± 0.4% vs 14.5% ± 9.8%, P = .03 for 013C and 1.7% ± 1.3% vs 3.6% ± 3.4%, P = .04 for 067C) in 013C and 067 cells. SOX2 enhanced sphere and tumor growth (spheres/well, 013C P < .001 and 067C P = .04) and therapy resistance. SOX2 expression prompted mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) by inducing CDH1 (013C P = .002, 067C P = .01), followed by asymmetric division and proliferation, which contributed to tumor formation. The molecular link between PI3K activation and CSC properties found in this study provides insights into therapeutic strategies for HNSCC. Constitutive expression of SOX2 in HNSCC cells generates a CSC-like population that enables CSC studies.
| S-EPMC5025278 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cancers may contain a small sub-population of uniquely tumorigenic cells that exhibit self-renewal and multipotency, i.e. cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells reside in invasive fronts in close proximity to blood vessels in many tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Recent evidence suggests that CSC resist chemotherapy and "drive" local recurrence and metastatic spread. Notably, endothelial cell-initiated signaling is critical for the survival and self-renewal of CSC and may play a role in resistance to therapy. Therefore, patients with head and neck cancer might benefit from therapies that target the CSC directly or their supportive perivascular niche.
| S-EPMC3500571 | biostudies-other
Project description:Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) cooperate with cancer stem cells (CSC) to maintain stemness. We recently identified cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) as a surface marker defining head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) CSC. PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 activation and signaling regulate CSC properties, yet the upstream molecular control of this pathway and the mechanisms underlying cross-talk between TAM and CSC in HNSCC remain largely unknown. Because CD44 is a molecular mediator in the TME, we propose here that TAM-influenced CD44 signaling could mediate stemness via the PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 pathway, possibly by modulating availability of hyaluronic acid (HA), the main CD44 ligand. HNSCC IHC was used to identify TAM/CSC relationships, and in vitro coculture spheroid models and in vivo mouse models were used to identify the influence of TAMs on CSC function via CD44. Patient HNSCC-derived TAMs were positively and negatively associated with CSC marker expression at noninvasive and invasive edge regions, respectively. TAMs increased availability of HA and increased cancer cell invasion. HA binding to CD44 increased PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 signaling and the CSC fraction, whereas CD44-VCAM-1 binding promoted invasive signaling by ezrin/PI3K. In vivo, targeting CD44 decreased PI3K-4EBP1-SOX2 signaling, tumor growth, and CSC. TAM depletion in syngeneic and humanized mouse models also diminished growth and CSC numbers. Finally, a CD44 isoform switch regulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity as standard form of CD44 and CD44v8-10 determined invasive and tumorigenic phenotypes, respectively. We have established a mechanistic link between TAMs and CSCs in HNSCC that is mediated by CD44 intracellular signaling in response to extracellular signals. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings establish a mechanistic link between tumor cell CD44, TAM, and CSC properties at the tumor-stroma interface that can serve as a vital area of focus for target and drug discovery.
| S-EPMC8146866 | biostudies-literature