Is 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor expression a potential Achilles' heel of CD44+ oral squamous cell carcinoma cells?

The aim of this study was to analyse the expression of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor (VDR) in oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) to evaluate whether oral tissue may be a new potential target for biologically active 1,25-(OH)2D3 or its analogues. Expression of VDR was analysed in OSCC specimen (n=191) and cancer cell lines (BICR3, BICR56) by immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, and Western blotting. Scanned images were digitally analysed using ImageJ and the immunomembrane plug-in.