engleski

Membrane androgen receptor OXER1 indicates a potential role in metastasis of head and neck tumors

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer by incidence, with almost 900 000 new cases in 2020 and a frequency of 5% in men and 2% in women. The high prevalence of HNSCC is associated with alcohol and tobacco consumption, infections with oncogenic strains of HPV and long-term exposure to environmental pollutants. It develops from the mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, and salivary glands, most often in males over 50 years of age. The three main treatments for HNSCC are surgery followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Due to the higher incidence of HNSCC in men and the association between sex hormone receptors and pathogenesis of HNSCC shown in some recent studies, the focus of our research was to investigate the potential role of androgen and androgen receptors in the metastasis of head and neck tumors. The expression of nuclear (AR) and membrane (CACNA1C, OXER1 and SLC39A9) androgen receptors was determined using the qPCR method in 74 tissue samples of primary HNSCC tumors, 26 metastatic lymph nodes and 26 healthy controls. Furthermore, as a cell model was used Detroit 562, a metastatic cell line of pharyngeal carcinoma, purchased from the ATCC (CCL-138™, Manassas, VA, USA). Treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was used for androgen receptors activation, while with simvastatin (SIM) for androgen depletion. Effects of dihydrotestosterone and simvastatin treatments on relative gene expression and migratory ability, using wound healing assay and colony forming assay, of untreated and treated cells was determined. Our preliminary results have shown statistically increased OXER1 gene expression in metastases compared to primary tumors, as well as decreased migration and colony forming potential of Detroit 562 cells after treatment with simvastatin. Therefore, our results indicate a potential role of membrane androgen receptor OXER1 in metastasis of head and neck tumors, while the therapeutic potential of statins still needs to be investigated.

androgen ; androgen receptors ; OXER1 ; HNSCC

nije evidentirano