Enhanced Chemosensitivity by Targeting Nanog in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Chuan-En Huang¹  Cheng-Chia Yu¹  Fang-Wei Hu¹  Ming-Yung Chou¹ 

[1] School of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung 40201, Taiwan; E-Mails:

关键词: head and neck squamous cell carcinomas;    Nanog;    cancer stem cells;    chemosensitivity;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms150914935

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Chemo-resistance is the major cause of high mortality in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in which HNSCC-derived cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be involved. Previously, we enriched a subpopulation of HNSCC-derived spheroid cells (SC) (HNSCC-SC) and identified Nanog as a CSCs marker. The aim of this study was to determine the role of Nanog in the chemosensitivity of HNSCC. The functional and clinicopathological studies of Nanog were investigated in HNSCC cells and specimens. Nanog expression was increased in HNSCC cell lines as compared to a normal oral epithelial cell line. Nanog upregulation in clinical tissues from HNSCC patients with recurrent and metastatic specimens relative to the mRNA levels in the samples from normal or primary tissues were examined. Targeting Nanog in HNSCC-SC significantly inhibited their tumorigenic and CSCs-like abilities and effectively increased the sensitivity of HNSCC-SC to chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin treatment. Targeting Nanog in HNSCC-SC showed a synergistic therapeutic effect with cisplatin. Our results suggest that targeting Nanog may have promising therapeutic potential for HNSCC.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.