Carboxyl-Terminal Modulator Protein Positively Acts as an Oncogenic Driver in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Regulating Akt phosphorylation.

The exact regulatory mechanisms of carboxyl-terminal modulator protein (CTMP) and its downstream pathways in cancer have been controversial and are not completely understood. Here, we report a new mechanism of regulation of Akt serine/threonine kinase, one of the most important dysregulated signals in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by the CTMP pathway and its clinical implications. We find that HNSCC tumor tissues and cell lines had relatively high levels of CTMP expression.

EZH2 is associated with poor prognosis in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma via regulating the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and chemosensitivity.

Objectives: Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic regulation is responsible for tumor initiation and progression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Although the polycomb group protein enhancer zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is upregulated and a key epigenetic modifier implicated in various cancers, its molecular mechanism in HNSCC remains unknown. Herein, we investigated the role of EZH2 in HNSCC progression and its clinical implication as an HNSCC risk predictor.

Podoplanin is involved in the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through interaction with VEGF-C.

We investigated the clinical significance of podoplanin expression in relation to clinicopathological variables in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), to determine its effectiveness as a marker for high-risk HNSCC patients. Upregulation of podoplanin in HNSCC tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry and clinicopathological analyses. Wound healing and invasion assays were performed using HNSCC cells that were transfected with podoplanin siRNA, podoplanin vector and cotransfection with both the podoplanin vector and VEGF-C siRNA.

Dietary exposure estimation of benzo[a]pyrene and cancer risk assessment.

Dietary benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) in various foods (e.g., snack, potato chip, bread, vegetable oil, meat, cereal, etc.