Erythroid progenitor cell modulates cancer immunity: Insights and implications.

The emergence of immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has markedly enhanced cancer treatment outcomes for numerous patients. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of immunotherapy demonstrates substantial variation across different cancer types and individual patients. The immunosuppressive characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME) play a crucial role in contributing to this variation.

CSRP2 promotes cell stemness in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Cysteine-rich protein 2 (CSRP2) is discovered as oncogene. The study aims to investigate the clinical significance and potential mechanism of CSRP2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: CSRP2 expression was explored by immunohistochemistry tissue microarrays and Western blotting in HNSCC.

Tumor-host colluding through erythroid progenitor cells: Mechanisms and opportunities.

Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), has shown great promise in the treatment of cancer and emerged as a beacon of hope for patients who have exhausted traditional therapeutic options. Despite ICB's approval for the treatment of advanced tumors, its efficacy remains limited to a small subset of patients. As a systemic disease, cancer can induce changes in the composition and function of the systemic immune system, and ICB resistance often involves a dialog between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the systemic immune macroenvironment.

NLRP3 in tumor-associated macrophages predicts a poor prognosis and promotes tumor growth in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays cell- and tissue-specific roles in cancer, meaning that its activation in different tumors or cells may play different roles in tumor progression. We have previously described the tumor-promoting function of tumor-intrinsic NLRP3/IL-1β signaling in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but its role in immune cells remains unclear. In this study, we found that NLRP3 was highly expressed in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in both mouse and human HNSCC, and the expression of NLRP3 was positively correlated with the density of TAMs according to immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry analyses.

TRAF6 regulates tumour metastasis through EMT and CSC phenotypes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with metastasis formation, generation and maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the regulatory mechanisms of CSCs have not been clarified. This study aims to investigate the role of TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) on EMT and CSC regulation in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN).

Blockage of the NLRP3 inflammasome by MCC950 improves anti-tumor immune responses in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical innate immune pathway responsible for producing active interleukin (IL)-1β, which is associated with tumor development and immunity. However, the mechanisms regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, tumorigenesis and tumor immunity are unclear. Herein, we show that the NLRP3 inflammasome was over-expressed in human HNSCC tissues and that the IL-1β concentration was increased in the peripheral blood of HNSCC patients.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation promotes inflammation-induced carcinogenesis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: NLRP3 inflammasome acts as a danger signal sensor that triggers and coordinates the inflammatory response. However, the roles of NLRP3 inflammasome in the tumorigenesis and development of cancer stem cells (CSCs) of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) remain ambiguous.

Methods: In our study, tissue microarrays, ELISA, sphere-forming assay, colony formation assay and Western blot analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of NLRP3 inflammasome on the development of CSCs in human SCCHN tissue specimen, cell lines, and transgenic mouse SCCHN model.

Expression of VISTA correlated with immunosuppression and synergized with CD8 to predict survival in human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), a novel immune checkpoint regulatory molecule, suppresses T cell mediated immune responses. The aim of the present study was to profile the immunological expression, clinical significance and correlation of VISTA in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Human tissue microarrays, containing 165 primary OSCCs, 48 oral epithelial dysplasias and 43 normal oral mucosae, were applied to investigate the expression levels of VISTA, CD8, cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), PI3Kα p110, IL13Rα2, phospho-STAT3 at tyrosine 705 (p-STAT3) and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) markers (CD11b and CD33) by immunohistochemistry and digital pathology analysis.

T-cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 blockade drives an antitumor immune response in head and neck cancer.

T-cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 (TIM3) contributes to immune suppression during progression of many cancers, but the precise role of TIM3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is not clearly understood. In this study, we report that TIM3 expression was significantly up-regulated in patients with HNSCC and associated with lymph node metastasis. Additionally, TIM3 expression was increased in patients with recurrent HNSCC and patients with preradiotherapy or prechemotherapy.

NOTCH1 inhibition enhances the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic agents by targeting head neck cancer stem cell.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered responsible for tumor initiation and chemoresistance. This study was aimed to investigate the possibility of targeting head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by NOTCH1 pathway inhibition and explore the synergistic effect of combining NOTCH inhibition with conventional chemotherapy. NOTCH1/HES1 elevation was found in human HNSCC, especially in tissue post chemotherapy and lymph node metastasis, which is correlated with CSCs markers.

C4.4A as a biomarker of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and correlated with epithelial mesenchymal transition.

C4.4A, a member of the Ly6/uPAR family of membrane proteins, has been identified as a metastasis-associated molecule, but little is known about its actual expression and possible function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To explore diagnostic and prognostic roles of C4.

Hypoxia induces TFE3 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

To assess the role of transcription factor μE3 (TFE3) in the tumorigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), human HNSCC tissue arrays were investigated for TFE3 expression. Human HNSCC tissues with neoadjuvant inductive chemotherapey (docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil, TPF) and mice HNSCC tissues from transgenic mice model were evaluated for TFE3 expression and the hypoxia pathway. The roles of EGF/EGFR mediated hypoxia in TFE3 nuclear expression were analyzed in vitro and in vivo.

PD-1 blockade attenuates immunosuppressive myeloid cells due to inhibition of CD47/SIRPα axis in HPV negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play key roles in the tumor immune suppressive network and tumor progression. However, precise roles of programmed death-1 (PD-1) in immunological functions of MDSCs and TAMs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been clearly elucidated. In the present study, we show that PD-1 and PD-L1 levels were significantly higher in human HNSCC specimen than in normal oral mucosa.

Tumor growth suppression by inhibiting both autophagy and STAT3 signaling in HNSCC.

Autophagy is considered as a double-edged sword. It can prolong the survival of cancer cells and enhance its resistance to apoptosis, and paradoxically, defective autophagy has been linked to increased tumorigenesis, but the mechanism behind this phenomenon is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that decreased phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) was correlated with increased autophagy through the Akt/mTOR and Erk signaling pathways in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

STAT3 blockade enhances the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic agents by eradicating head neck stemloid cancer cell.

Signaling transducer and activator 3 (STAT3) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) have garnered huge attention as a therapeutic focus, based on evidence that they may represent an etiologic root of tumor initiation and radio-chemoresistance. Here, we investigated the high phosphorylation status of STAT3 (p-STAT3) and its correlation with self-renewal markers in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Over-expression of p-STAT3 was found to have increased in post chemotherapy HNSCC tissue.

Expression of LC3, LAMP2, KEAP1 and NRF2 in Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.

Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (SACC) is a tumor characterized by inevitable local progression and terminal hematogenous metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the expression of LC3, LAMP2, KEAP1 and NRF2 in SACC. Human salivary gland tissue microarray which contains 74 SACC, 12 pleomorphic adenoma and 18 normal salivary gland specimens.

Inhibition of STAT3 reduces proliferation and invasion in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.

In this study, we accessed the expression and correlation of p-STAT3 with Survivin, Cyclin D1, CD147, Slug and Ki67 by immunohistochemical staining of human tissue microarray which contains 72 adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC), 12 pleomorphic adenoma (PMA) and 18 normal salivary gland (NSG) using digital pathological scanner and scoring system. We found that the expression of p-STAT3, Survivin, Slug, Cyclin D1 and CD147 was significantly increased in AdCC as compared with PMA and (or) NSG (p<0.05).

Anterior gradient protein 2 expression in high grade head and neck squamous cell carcinoma correlated with cancer stem cell and epithelial mesenchymal transition.

Anterior gradient protein 2 (AGR2) is a novel biomarker with potential oncogenic role. We sought to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic role of AGR2 on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with an emphasis on its correlation of cancer stemloid cells (CSC) and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). We found that AGR2 protein levels were higher in HNSCC than in normal oral mucosa.

Notch signaling induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition to promote invasion and metastasis in adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered to have pivotal roles in the invasive and metastatic of Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) which is marked by local infiltration and distant metastasis. Notch signaling abnormity has been implicated as important molecular events in recent next generation sequencing studies of AdCC, but the detail is still unclear. This study was designed to investigate the expression of Notch signaling pathway and its relation with EMT program in AdCC.

Inhibition of survivin reduces HIF-1α, TGF-β1 and TFE3 in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma.

In the present study, we explored the expression and correlation of survivin with HIF-1α, TGF-β1 and TFE3 in adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC). The expression of survivin, HIF-1α, TGF-β1 and TFE3 was assessed by immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray containing tissue samples of normal salivary gland (NSG), pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and AdCC. Correlation analysis of these proteins revealed that increased survivin expression was associated with the overexpression of HIF-1α (P<0.

Prognostic and predictive values of SPP1, PAI and caveolin-1 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

SPP1, PAI and caveolin-1 are known to be closely associated with tumor progression in several kinds of human tumors. This study aimed to investigate the expression of SPP1, PAI and caveolin-1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and to evaluate their association with the prognosis in oral carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of SPP1, PAI and caveolin-1 in 17 normal oral mucosa, 6 oral epithelial dysplasia and 43 OSCC specimens by tissue microarrays.

CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages correlated with poor prognosis and cancer stem cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important role in the progression and prognostication of numerous cancers. However, the role and clinical significance of TAM markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the correlation between the expression of TAM markers and pathological features in OSCC by tissue microarray.

Correlation of ALDH1, CD44, OCT4 and SOX2 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma and their association with disease progression and prognosis.

Background: Recently, studies indicated that cancer stem cell plays a key role in cancer development and progression. However, the role of cancer stem cell has not been well elucidated in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between the expressions of stem cell markers and the prognosis of TSCC.

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among dental personnel in a Chinese dental hospital.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of occupational exposure (OE) occurring to dentists, dental nurses and senior dental students in a Chinese dental hospital and to assess associated factors with these exposures.

Methods: Data were collected through anonymous questionnaires, which were distributed to dentists, nurses, and senior dental students.

Results: All 205 dental personnel who voluntarily participated in the survey completed the questionnaire.