Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
5.2
Journals
Cancers
Special Issues
Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer
share announcement

Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Cancer Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2023) | Viewed by 15962

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Joanna Katarzyna Strzelczyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Molecular Biology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Interests: molecular biology; genetics; epigenetics, head and neck cancers
Prof. Dr. Maciej Misiołek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Laryngological Oncology in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Interests: head and neck oncology; narrowings of the upper airways; vocal cord paralysis; sleep apnea; rhinosurgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Head and neck cancer is a heterogeneous disease with complex molecular abnormalities and a growing number of diagnosed patients and still remains an important problem in oncology. Although different molecular subtypes have been proposed for head and neck cancer, and plenty of research has demonstrated progression along a series of neoplastic pathways, additional studies are needed to determine the specificity  and  molecular analysis proposed for screening in a group of head and neck cancer patients.

In recent years, new technologies for the analysis of biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins have enabled unprecedented views at the molecular level of cancer. Identification of new biomarkers that have a crucial impact on carcinogenesis and progression on cancer is still of great clinical interest. Early diagnosis may facilitate preventive intervention. A lot of new molecular assays have a pivotal role on the study of biology of head and neck cancer and could improve early diagnosis. We are pleased to invite you to publish high-quality manuscripts with an emphasis on using multi-omics approaches to improve knowledge about fundamental mechanisms of head and neck carcinogenesis which  may be related to disease-associated differences and to investigate the potential biomarkers for identifying individuals at a higher risk of developing disease. In the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, analysis at the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic level can enrich  the study of molecular pathology and tumor progression.  Many clinical phenotypes might be predicted by a molecular signature, such as  disease risk, tumor progression, time to disease recurrence and survival time, and response to therapy; therefore, we welcome reviews and original articles discussing novel basic research or translational medicine with respect to the molecular mechanisms of head and neck cancers.  

This Special Issue aims to highlight some of the advances achieved in our understanding of the molecular biology underlying certain clinicopathological characteristics of head and neck cancer.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: the molecular pathways of head and neck cancer; molecular alterations at genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic level; the metabolome profile of head and neck cancer; epigenetics in head and neck cancer.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Joanna Katarzyna Strzelczyk
Prof. Dr. Maciej Misiołek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • head and neck cancer
  • molecular pathogenesis
  • molecular pathways
  • biomarkers
  • prognosis
  • genome
  • transcriptome
  • epigenetics
  • proteomics
  • metabolome profile

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

17 pages, 2787 KiB  
Article
Ex Vivo Functional Assay for Evaluating Treatment Response in Tumor Tissue of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Marta E. Capala, Katrin S. Pachler, Iris Lauwers, Maarten A. de Korte, Nicole S. Verkaik, Hetty Mast, Brend P. Jonker, Aniel Sewnaik, Jose A. Hardillo, Stijn Keereweer, Dominiek Monserez, Senada Koljenovic, Bianca Mostert, Gerda M. Verduijn, Steven Petit and Dik C. van Gent
Cancers 2023, 15(2), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15020478 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2137
Abstract
Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) displays a large heterogeneity in treatment response, and consequently in patient prognosis. Despite extensive efforts, no clinically validated model is available to predict tumor response. Here we describe a functional test for predicting tumor response [...] Read more.
Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) displays a large heterogeneity in treatment response, and consequently in patient prognosis. Despite extensive efforts, no clinically validated model is available to predict tumor response. Here we describe a functional test for predicting tumor response to radiation and chemotherapy on the level of the individual patient. Methods: Resection material of 17 primary HNSCC patients was cultured ex vivo, irradiated or cisplatin-treated, after which the effect on tumor cell vitality was analyzed several days after treatment. Results: Ionizing radiation (IR) affected tumor cell growth and viability with a clear dose-response relationship, and marked heterogeneity between tumors was observed. After a single dose of 5Gy, proliferation in IR-sensitive tumors dropped below 30% of the untreated level, while IR-resistant tumors maintained at least 60% of proliferation. IR-sensitive tumors showed on average a twofold increase in apoptosis, as well as an increased number and size of DNA damage foci after treatment. No differences in the homologous recombination (HR) proficiency between IR-sensitive and –resistant tumors were detected. Cisplatin caused a decrease in proliferation, as well as induction of apoptosis, again with marked variation between the samples. Conclusions: Our functional ex vivo assay discriminated between IR-sensitive and IR-resistant HNSCC tumors, and may also be suitable for predicting response to cisplatin. Its predictive value is currently under investigation in a prospective clinical study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2952 KiB  
Article
The Combination of Inflammatory Biomarkers as Prognostic Indicator in Salivary Gland Malignancy
by Vincenzo Abbate, Simona Barone, Stefania Troise, Claudia Laface, Paola Bonavolontà, Daniela Pacella, Giovanni Salzano, Giorgio Iaconetta, Luigi Califano and Giovanni Dell’Aversana Orabona
Cancers 2022, 14(23), 5934; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14235934 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1233
Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), taken individually and combined, are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients surgically treated for malignant [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of this study was to investigate how the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), taken individually and combined, are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients surgically treated for malignant salivary gland tumors (MSGTs). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 74 cases following surgery at our department between January 2011 and June 2018 was performed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff values for SII, SIRI, PLR, and NLR. Survival curves of different groups at 1–3–5 years were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: The optimal thresholds with the highest sensitivity and specificity were 3.95 for NLR, 187.6 for PLR, 917.585 for SII, and 2.045 for SIRI. The ROC curves revealed that the best combination with AUC = 0.884 was SII + SIRI. The estimated 5-year OS probability in patients with SII+ SIRI scores of 0, 1, and 2 was 96%, 87.5% and 12.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: SII+ SIRI can independently predict the OS of patients after MSGT surgery. The prognostic score system based on SII+ SIRI may be good clinical practice as a reference for clinical decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 7126 KiB  
Article
Immunization Combined with Ferroptosis Related Genes to Construct a New Prognostic Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Linhui Yang, Zhiwei Chen, Yunliang Liu, Xiaoyan Wang, Jing Li and Qing Ye
Cancers 2022, 14(17), 4099; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14174099 - 24 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2355
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death that plays a pivotal role in a variety of tumors. Moreover, immunity is closely related to ferroptosis. However, immune-ferroptosis-related mRNAs (IFRMs) are still not fully understood in the regulation of head and neck squamous [...] Read more.
Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death that plays a pivotal role in a variety of tumors. Moreover, immunity is closely related to ferroptosis. However, immune-ferroptosis-related mRNAs (IFRMs) are still not fully understood in the regulation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). The purpose of this paper was to investigate the IFRMs prediction of HNSC and its possible molecular biological role. RNA-Seq and related clinical data were mined from the TCGA database, ImmPort database, GeneCards database, FerrDb database, and previous data. In R software, the “DESeq2” package was used to analyze the differential expression of IFRMs. We used univariate Cox analysis to judge the prognosis of the IFRMs. Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression, a prediction model for 12 IFRMs was established. In this study, the Kaplan–Meier survival curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to evaluate the prediction results. Moreover, factors such as immune landscape, somatic mutations, and drug susceptibility are also discussed. We successfully constructed the signature of 12-IFRMs. The two risk groups were classified according to the risk score obtained by this signature. Compared with conventional clinicopathological features, the characteristic-based risk score was more predictive of survival in patients with HNSC. Furthermore, the expression of CD8+T cells and macrophage M0 differed significantly between the two groups. Moreover, the expression of TNFSF9 and CD44 in high-risk groups was significantly increased compared with the low-risk groups. Then, we found a higher proportion of high-risk mutations than in the low-risk group. Next, the high-risk group was more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs such as bosutinib, docetaxel, erlotinib, gefitinib, imatinib, lapatinib, and sorafenib. Finally, an in-depth analysis of the association and potential value of the 12 genes was performed. In summary, the 12-IFRM signatures established in this paper had good application prospects and could be effectively used to predict the clinical outcome and treatment response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 823 KiB  
Article
A Novel 2-Metagene Signature to Identify High-Risk HNSCC Patients amongst Those Who Are Clinically at Intermediate Risk and Are Treated with PORT
by Shivaprasad Patil, Annett Linge, Hannah Hiepe, Marianne Grosser, Fabian Lohaus, Volker Gudziol, Max Kemper, Alexander Nowak, Dominik Haim, Inge Tinhofer, Volker Budach, Maja Guberina, Martin Stuschke, Panagiotis Balermpas, Jens von der Grün, Henning Schäfer, Anca-Ligia Grosu, Amir Abdollahi, Jürgen Debus, Ute Ganswindt, Claus Belka, Steffi Pigorsch, Stephanie E. Combs, Simon Boeke, Daniel Zips, Korinna Jöhrens, Gustavo B. Baretton, Michael Baumann, Mechthild Krause, Steffen Löck and on behalf of the DKTK-ROGadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Cancers 2022, 14(12), 3031; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14123031 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1789
Abstract
(1) Background: Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who are biologically at high risk for the development of loco–regional recurrences after postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) but at intermediate risk according to clinical risk factors may benefit from additional concurrent [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who are biologically at high risk for the development of loco–regional recurrences after postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) but at intermediate risk according to clinical risk factors may benefit from additional concurrent chemotherapy. In this matched-pair study, we aimed to identify a corresponding predictive gene signature. (2) Methods: Gene expression analysis was performed on a multicenter retrospective cohort of 221 patients that were treated with postoperative radiochemotherapy (PORT-C) and 283 patients who were treated with PORT alone. Propensity score analysis was used to identify matched patient pairs from both cohorts. From differential gene expression analysis and Cox regression, a predictive gene signature was identified. (3) Results: 108 matched patient pairs were selected. We identified a 2-metagene signature that stratified patients into risk groups in both cohorts. The comparison of the high-risk patients between the two types of treatment showed higher loco–regional control (LRC) after treatment with PORT-C (p < 0.001), which was confirmed by a significant interaction term in Cox regression (p = 0.027), i.e., the 2-metagene signature was indicative for the type of treatment. (4) Conclusion: We have identified a novel gene signature that may be helpful to identify patients with high-risk HNSCC amongst those at intermediate clinical risk treated with PORT, who may benefit from additional concurrent chemotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

85 pages, 4243 KiB  
Review
The Role of Different Immunocompetent Cell Populations in the Pathogenesis of Head and Neck Cancer—Regulatory Mechanisms of Pro- and Anti-Cancer Activity and Their Impact on Immunotherapy
by Katarzyna Starska-Kowarska
Cancers 2023, 15(6), 1642; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15061642 - 07 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6564
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most aggressive and heterogeneous groups of human neoplasms. HNSCC is characterized by high morbidity, accounting for 3% of all cancers, and high mortality with ~1.5% of all cancer deaths. It was the [...] Read more.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most aggressive and heterogeneous groups of human neoplasms. HNSCC is characterized by high morbidity, accounting for 3% of all cancers, and high mortality with ~1.5% of all cancer deaths. It was the most common cancer worldwide in 2020, according to the latest GLOBOCAN data, representing the seventh most prevalent human malignancy. Despite great advances in surgical techniques and the application of modern combinations and cytotoxic therapies, HNSCC remains a leading cause of death worldwide with a low overall survival rate not exceeding 40–60% of the patient population. The most common causes of death in patients are its frequent nodal metastases and local neoplastic recurrences, as well as the relatively low response to treatment and severe drug resistance. Much evidence suggests that the tumour microenvironment (TME), tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and circulating various subpopulations of immunocompetent cells, such regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs), cytotoxic CD3+CD8+ T cells (CTLs) and CD3+CD4+ T helper type 1/2/9/17 (Th1/Th2/Th9/Th17) lymphocytes, T follicular helper cells (Tfh) and CD56dim/CD16bright activated natural killer cells (NK), carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumour-associated neutrophils (N1/N2 TANs), as well as tumour-associated macrophages (M1/M2 phenotype TAMs) can affect initiation, progression and spread of HNSCC and determine the response to immunotherapy. Rapid advances in the field of immuno-oncology and the constantly growing knowledge of the immunosuppressive mechanisms and effects of tumour cancer have allowed for the use of effective and personalized immunotherapy as a first-line therapeutic procedure or an essential component of a combination therapy for primary, relapsed and metastatic HNSCC. This review presents the latest reports and molecular studies regarding the anti-tumour role of selected subpopulations of immunocompetent cells in the pathogenesis of HNSCC, including HPV+ve (HPV+) and HPV−ve (HPV−) tumours. The article focuses on the crucial regulatory mechanisms of pro- and anti-tumour activity, key genetic or epigenetic changes that favour tumour immune escape, and the strategies that the tumour employs to avoid recognition by immunocompetent cells, as well as resistance mechanisms to T and NK cell-based immunotherapy in HNSCC. The present review also provides an overview of the pre- and clinical early trials (I/II phase) and phase-III clinical trials published in this arena, which highlight the unprecedented effectiveness and limitations of immunotherapy in HNSCC, and the emerging issues facing the field of HNSCC immuno-oncology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

15 pages, 1053 KiB  
Systematic Review
Tumor Markers and Their Prognostic Value in Sinonasal ITAC/Non-ITAC
by Julius Veuger, Nona C. Kuipers, Stefan M. Willems and Gyorgy B. Halmos
Cancers 2023, 15(12), 3201; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15123201 - 15 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1024
Abstract
One of the rare tumor entities present in the nose and paranasal sinuses is sinonasal (non-) intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (ITAC/non-ITAC). Currently, surgery with postoperative radiotherapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of these tumors. Systemic treatment is usually applied in a palliative setting. The [...] Read more.
One of the rare tumor entities present in the nose and paranasal sinuses is sinonasal (non-) intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (ITAC/non-ITAC). Currently, surgery with postoperative radiotherapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of these tumors. Systemic treatment is usually applied in a palliative setting. The prognosis of these tumors is very diverse. Biomarkers that may have prognostic value in these rare malignancies could help clinicians in decision-making. A systematic search of the literature was performed using the PubMed database. All studies investigating the prognostic significance of biomarkers in paranasal sinus ITAC/non-ITAC were retrieved. The findings were categorized within the hallmarks of cancer, to gain an understanding of the functions of possible prognostic biomarkers in the development of ITAC/non-ITAC. There were twenty-one studies reporting on twenty-one possible biomarkers included in the review. The expression of Mucin antigen sialosyl-Tn, C-erbB-2 oncoprotein, TIMP3 methylation, TP53, VEGF, ANXA2, MUC1 and the mucinous histological subtype were found to have a significant negative effect on survival. None of the biomarkers were found to have a positive effect on prognosis. The hallmarks ‘activating invasion and metastasis’ and ‘sustaining proliferative signaling’ seem to play the largest role in sinonasal (non-)ITAC. It could be concluded that there are multiple biomarkers foreboding a negative prognosis for ITAC/non-ITAC patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Signatures in Head and Neck Cancer)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop