ZNF671 Silencing Affects Signaling Pathways in Head and Neck Cancer via Activation of Oncogenic Non-Coding RNAs.

Background: Novel ZNF genes, such as ZNF671, that are located on chromosome 19q13 are known to be hypermethylated at a high frequency in HNSCC as well as in other epithelial solid tumors. Their function is largely unknown.

Results: Here, we show that ZNF671 is epigenetically silenced in HNSCC primary tumors compared to matched adjacent normal tissue.

Apically localized PANX1 impacts neuroepithelial expansion in human cerebral organoids.

Dysfunctional paracrine signaling through Pannexin 1 (PANX1) channels is linked to several adult neurological pathologies and emerging evidence suggests that PANX1 plays an important role in human brain development. It remains unclear how early PANX1 influences brain development, or how loss of PANX1 alters the developing human brain. Using a cerebral organoid model of early human brain development, we find that PANX1 is expressed at all stages of organoid development from neural induction through to neuroepithelial expansion and maturation.

Kruppel-family zinc finger proteins as emerging epigenetic biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes located on chromosome 19q13 are aberrantly hypermethylated with high frequency in all anatomic sub-sites of head and neck cancers as well as other epithelial tumours resulting in decreased expression.

Methods: We examined prognostic significance of ZNF154 and ZNF132 expression and DNA methylation in independent patient cohort of about 500 head and neck cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We also overexpressed these genes in HEK-293 cells, as well as the oral cancer cell line UM-SCC-1.