• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.94-100
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was done to confirm the role of NF-$\kappa$B in cisplatin-induced apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Five cell lines originated from different oral cancer patients were tested for the apoptosis by the treatment of cisplatin. These cells showed different degree of cisplatin-resistance and the order is OSCC-2>OSCC-3>OSCC-5> OSCC-1>OSCC-4. OSCC-2 and OSCC-4 cells were assayed for the apoptosis by measuring DNA fragmentation and TUNEL staining after cisplatin treatment. While OSCC-4 cells showed apoptosis, OSCC-2 cells showed no or very slight apoptosis by cisplatin treatment. Next, It was determined whether NF-$\kappa$B activation is required in mediating cisplatin-induced apoptosis of OSCC-4. Result: The result was that elevated NF-$\kappa$B activity mediated cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings suggest that NF-$\kappa$B activation is essential to cisplatin-induced apoptosis and it may be involved in cisplatin resistance in OSCC cells.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2019

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignancy and an increasing global public health problem. OSCC frequently invades the jaw bone. OSCC-induced bone invasion has a significant impact on tumor stage, treatment selection, patient outcome, and quality of life. A number of studies have shown that osteoclast-mediated bone resorption is a major step in the progression of bone invasion by OSCC; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in OSCC bone invasion are not yet clear. In this review, we present the clinical types of OSCC bone invasion and summarize the role of key molecules, including proteases, cytokines, and growth factors, in the sequential process of bone invasion. A better understanding of bone invasion will facilitate the discovery of molecular targets for early detection and treatment of OSCC bone invasion.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.227-232
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• 2021

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant in tumor microenvironments and interact with cancer cells to promote tumor proliferation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Cathepsin D (CTSD) is a soluble lysosomal aspartic endopeptidase involved in tumor proliferation and angiogenesis. In this preliminary study, we observed CTSD expression in OSCC and CAFs, postulating that CTSD might act as a bridge between OSCC and CAFs. Methods: Human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs), OSCC, and immortalized human normal oral fibroblasts (hTERT-hNOFs) were used in this study. Additionally, we used hTERT-hNOFs transfected with an empty vector, WT (wild-type)-YAP (Yes-associated protein), and YAPS127A (YAP serine 127 to alanine). YAP127A hTERT-hNOFs activated fibroblasts similar to CAFs. To identify CTSD expression between OSCC and CAFs, conditioned medium (CM) was collected from each cell. Protein expression of CTSD was identified by western blotting. Results: To identify the expression of CTSD in fibroblasts stimulated by OSCC, we treated fibroblasts with CM from HEK and OSCC. Results indicated that hTERT-hNOFs with OSCC CM showed a weakly increased expression of CTSD compared to stimulation by HEK CM. This indicates that CAFs, YAPS127 hTRET-hNOFs, overexpress CTSD protein. HEK cells showed no CTSD expression, regardless of treatment with fibroblast CM, whereas OSCC highly expressed CTSD proteins compared with the CTSD expression in HEK cells. We also found that CTSD expression was unaffected by changes in transforming growth factor-β levels. Conclusion: This study proposes that CTSD might have potential as an interacting executor between OSCC and CAFs. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of CTSD in tumor and stromal cells.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.27.1-27.13
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• 2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent head and neck malignancy, with frequent cervical lymph-node metastasis, leading to a poor prognosis in OSCC patients. The present study aimed to identify potential markers, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes, significantly involved in the etiology of early-stage OSCC. Additionally, the main OSCC's dysregulated Gene Ontology annotations and significant signaling pathways were identified. The dataset GSE45238 underwent multivariate statistical analysis in order to distinguish primary OSCC tissues from healthy oral epithelium. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) with the criteria of p-value < 0.001 and |Log2 fold change| > 1.585 were identified in the two groups, and subsequently, validated targets of DEMs were identified. A protein interaction map was constructed, hub genes were identified, significant modules within the network were illustrated, and significant pathways and biological processes associated with the clusters were demonstrated. Using the GEPI2 database, the hub genes' predictive function was assessed. Compared to the healthy controls, main OSCC had a total of 23 DEMs. In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), upregulation of CALM1, CYCS, THBS1, MYC, GATA6, and SPRED3 was strongly associated with a poor prognosis. In HNSCC patients, overexpression of PIK3R3, GIGYF1, and BCL2L11 was substantially correlated with a good prognosis. Besides, "proteoglycans in cancer" was the most significant pathway enriched in the primary OSCC. The present study results revealed more possible mechanisms mediating primary OSCC and may be useful in the prognosis of the patients with early-stage OSCC.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.197-207
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• 2024

The potential of tivozanib as a treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was explored in this study. We investigated the effects of tivozanib on OSCC using the Ca9-22 and CAL27 cell lines. OSCC is a highly prevalent cancer type with a significant risk of lymphatic metastasis and recurrence, which necessitates the development of innovative treatment approaches. Tivozanib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor, has shown efficacy in inhibiting neovascularization in various cancer types but has not been thoroughly studied in OSCC. Our comprehensive assessment revealed that tivozanib effectively inhibited OSCC cells. This was accompanied by the suppression of Bcl-2, a reduction in matrix metalloproteinase levels, and the induction of intrinsic pathway-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, tivozanib contributed to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inhibition by increasing E-cadherin levels while decreasing N-cadherin levels. These findings highlight the substantial anticancer potential of tivozanib in OSCC and thus its promise as a therapeutic option. Beyond reducing cell viability and inducing apoptosis, the capacity of tivozanib to inhibit EMT and modulate key proteins presents the possibility of a paradigm shift in OSCC treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.281-285
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• 2013

Purpose: To probe the role of FasL in cell apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Methods: The expression of Fas/FasL was assessed in 10 cases of normal oral epithelium, 38 cases of OSCC and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), and 11 cases of metastatic lymph nodes by immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis of tumor cells and TIL was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL). FasL-induction of T cell apoptosis was tested by co-culture assay in vitro with SCC-9 and Jurkat T cells. Results: The 10 cases of normal oral epithelium all demonstrated extensive expression of Fas, the positive rate being largely down-regulated in OSCC (21/38) (P<0.05) compared to the normal (10/10). At the same time, the positive rate of FasL significantly increased in OSCC (P<0.05) especially those with lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The positive rates of Fas in well and middle differentiated OSCC were higher than those in poor differentiated OSCC (P<0.05). The AI of tumor cells in Fas-positive OSCC was remarkably higher than that in Fas-negative OSCC (P<0.01), with a positive correlation between Fas expression and cell differentiation as well as apoptosis (r=0.68, P<0.01). The AI of tumor cells in FasL positive OSCC was remarkably lower than that in control while the AI of TIL was higher than in FasL negative OSCC (P<0.05). The AI of tumor cells reversely correlated with that of TIL (r = -0. 72, P<0.05). It was found that SCC-9 cells expressing functional FasL could induce apoptosis of Jurkat cells as demonstrated by co-culture assays. As a conclusion, it is evident that OSCC cells expressing FasL can induce apoptosis in Fas-expressing T cells. Conclusions: In progression of OSCC, expression of the Fas/FasL changes significantly. The results suggest that FasL is a mediator of immune privilege in OSCC and may serve as an marker for predicting malignant change in oral tissues.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.4049-4057
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• 2016

Background: High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV), particularly types 16 and 18, have been found to play an important role in head and neck cancer, including oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). p16, a cell cycle inhibitor, has been postulated as a surrogate marker for HR-HPV, since p16 is aberrantly overexpressed in such lesions, especially in HR-HPV-positive OPSCC. However, p16 as a surrogate marker for HR-HPV infection in cancers of the oral cavity remains controversial. Objective: The objectives of the study were to investigate the expression of p16 and the presence of HR-HPV in OSCC and oral verrucous carcinoma (VC) and to determine if p16 could be used as a surrogate marker for HR-HPV. Materials and Methods: Forty one formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of OSCC (n=37) or VC (n=4) with clinical and histopathologic data of each case were collected. Expression of p16 was determined by immunohistochemistry, focusing on both staining intensity and numbers of positive cells. The presence of HPV types 16 and 18 was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Descriptive statistics were employed to describe the demographic, clinical, and histopathologic parameters. Associations between p16 overexpression, HR-HPV and all variables were determined by Fisher's exact test, odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In addition, the use of p16 as a surrogate marker for HR-HPV was analyzed by sensitivity and specificity tests. Results: p16 was overexpressed in 8/37 cases (21.6%) of OSCC and 2/4 cases (50%) of VC. HPV-16 was detected in 4/34 OSCC cases (11.8%) and HPV-18 was detected in 1/34 OSCC cases (2.9%). Co-infection of HPV-16/18 was detected in 1/4 VC cases (25%). Both p16 overexpression and HR-HPV were significantly associated with young patients with both OSCC and VC (p<0.05, OR 20, 95% CI 1.9-211.8; p<0.05, OR 23.3, 95% CI 2.4-229.7, respectively). p16 was able to predict the presence of HPV-16/18 in OSCC with 40% sensitivity and 79.3% specificity and in VC with 100% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity, respectively. Conclusions: p16 overexpression was found in 24.4% of both OSCC and VC. HR-HPV, regardless of type, was detected in 15.8% in cases of OSCC and VC combined. The results of sensitivity and specificity tests suggest that p16 can be used as a surrogate marker for HR-HPV in OSCC and VC.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2010

Background and Purpose: Bone metastases rarely occur in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), so the molecular mechanisms of bone metastasis of OSCC remains unclear. Studies with animal models allow progresses in understanding the molecular events for bone metastasis and provide new targets for therapy. So we tried to establish a murine model for bone metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Human OSCC cells (KB cell line) were xenografted to nude mice via direct inoculation into the tibial marrow. Mice with tibial tumors were sacrificed once a week, until seven weeks after the injection of human tumor cells. Growth of tibial tumors were observed by histology. Expression of TGF-$\beta$ and CXCR-4 in bone OSCC (experimental) and subcutaneous tumor (control) was also evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Results: Bone OSCC was successfully induced by intra-tibial injection of KB cells. Tumor mass was developed in the marrow tissues of tibia and finally invade the endosteum of tibia. Immunohistochemical staining showed higher expression of TGF-$\beta$ in bone tumors than in subcutaneous tumors. Conclusion: A murine model of bone metastasis of OSCC was suggested that imitated the clinical findings of distant vascular metastasis. This bone tumor model should facilitate understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of OSCC bone metastasis, and aid in the developement of treatment strategies against OSCC bone metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7141-7148
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• 2014

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an important malignancy throughout the world; early detection is an important criterion for achieving high cure rate. Out of the many reported markers for OSCC, this study validated the efficacy of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) in differentially diagnosing premalignant oral lesions and OSCC. Also, the study aimed to correlate the levels of salivary and serum TNF-${\alpha}$ with clinicopathologic factors. Materials and Methods: A prospective experimental laboratory study was designed. Serum and salivary samples from 100 subjects in each group of healthy control, premalignant disease (PMD) and OSCC were collected for the study following appropriate exclusion and inclusion criteria. Serum and salivary level of TNF-${\alpha}$ was analysed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The data obtained were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. Results: Increased level of both serum and salivary TNF-${\alpha}$ was observed in OSCC subjects compared to healthy control and PMD group. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis and area under curve values showed high specificity and sensitivity for salivary TNF-${\alpha}$ in differentiating OSCC from PMD and healthy controls. There was significant increase in TNF-${\alpha}$ level in moderately and poorly differentiated lesion compared to well differentiated lesion and in stage IV of clinical stage. A positive correlation was observed only with histological grading of OSCC and TNF-${\alpha}$. Conclusions: Salivary TNF-${\alpha}$ is proved to be superior for detecting OSCC. Increase in TNF-${\alpha}$ with histological grading and clinical staging suggests a role in prognosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2145-2152
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• 2014

Background: The survival rate for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has remained generally unchanged in the past three decades, underlining the need for more biomarkers to be developed to aid prognostication and effective management. The prognostic potential of E-cadherin expression in OSCCs has been variable in previous studies while galectin-9 expression has been correlated with improved prognosis in other cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of galectin-9 and E-cadherin in OSCC and their potential as prognostic biomarkers. Materials and Methods: E-cadherin and Galectin-9 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 32 cases of OSCC of the buccal mucosa (13 with and 19 without lymph node metastasis), as well as 6 samples of reactive lesions and 5 of normal buccal mucosa. Results: The expression of E-cadherin in OSCC was significantly lower than the control tissues but galectin-9 expression was conversely higher. Median E-cadherin HSCOREs between OSCCs positive and negative for nodal metastasis were not significantly different. Mean HSCOREs for galectin-9 in OSCC without lymph node metastasis ($127.7{\pm}81.8$) was higher than OSCC with lymph node metastasis ($97.9{\pm}62.9$) but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: E-cadherin expression is reduced whilst galectin-9 expression is increased in OSCC. However, the present results suggest that E-cadherin and galectin-9 expression may not be useful as prognostic markers for OSCC.