Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Multidimensional Coculture System to Model Lung Squamous Carcinoma Progression
Published on: March 17, 2020
Low COX2 in tumor and upregulation in stroma mark laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma progression
Konstantinos Kourelis1, Gerasimos Vandoros, Theodoros Kourelis
1Department of Anatomy, Medical School of Patras, Rio, Greece. concourel@vodafone.net.gr
Objectives/Hypothesis:
Invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the larynx, like most solid tumors, are surrounded by a reactive stroma, in which cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the predominant cell type. This mesenchymal reaction may affect cancer progression multiply. The proinflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been correlated with head and neck cancer. This study aims to explore the impact of epithelial and stromal COX-2 expression on SCC behavior.
Study Design:
Retrospective case review study performed in a tertiary health center institution.
Methods:
Double immunohistochemistry of COX-2 and the CAF marker alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) was utilized in 97 laryngeal cancer patients. Follow-up data were collected in 52 cases.
Results:
Low COX-2 immunostaining in cancer cells was associated with advanced grade (P = .044) and shorter recurrence-free period (P = .035). CAF expression was positively correlated with the grade of the infiltrating tumor (P = .030).
Conclusions:
In laryngeal SCCs, COX-2 may exert its deleterious effect by alterations in the tumor microenvironment. CAF-derived, COX-2-mediated paracrine influences on malignant cells possibly facilitate cancer progression. Overlooking the stromal remodeling could account for unsuccessful treatments of epithelial neoplasms.
Related Concept Videos
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
The Tumor Microenvironment
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs