Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics
Published on: May 11, 2016
Basaloid in contrast to nonbasaloid head and neck squamous cell carcinomas display aberrations especially in cell
Micaela Poetsch1, Gerd Lorenz, Alexander Bankau
1Institute of Forensic Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt-University, Kuhstrasse 30, D-17489 Greifswald, Germany. poetsch@mail.uni-greifswald.de
Background:
At present, the differences between head and neck basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) and nonbasaloid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are mostly on the basis of histologic and immunohistologic findings.
Methods:
In this study, we investigated 8 BSCCs and 59 SCCs for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at chromosomes 5q, 9p, 9q, 10q, 11q, 13p, 17p, and 18q. In addition, we analyzed p16, PTEN, and CCND1 (cyclin D1) and investigated the HPV status. Immunohistochemically, the expression of MIB-1, p16, p53, and cyclin D1 was determined.
Results:
Aberrations in the BSCCs were especially frequent at 9p and in the CCND1 gene. In contrast, alterations at 10q occurred almost exclusively in conventional SCCs. Obvious differences could be determined concerning the HPV status: HPV-DNA was detected in all BSCCs but only in 17% of conventional SCCs.
Conclusions:
Although the number of investigated BSCCs is rather low and did not allow statistical conclusions, our results focus on certain differences between the molecular pathogenesis of BSCCs and SCCs.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Abnormal Proliferation
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
The Cell Cycle Control System
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and function at the cell...

