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Autophagic action of new targeting agents in head and neck oncology

Hidemi Rikiishi1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan. riki@dent.tohoku.ac.jp

Cancer Biology & Therapy
|July 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) survival remains poor. Targeting autophagy, a cellular process, may enhance current cancer therapies by combining autophagy inhibitors with agents that induce this response.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Survival rates for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have stagnated despite aggressive multi-modality treatments.
  • Recent advances in molecular targeted agents show promise in various cancers, suggesting potential for HNSCC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential role of autophagy as a novel therapeutic target in HNSCC.
  • To explore how combining autophagy inhibitors with existing therapies might improve treatment efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on targeted agents and autophagy in cancer.
  • Analysis of the dual role of autophagy (prosurvival vs. antitumor) in HNSCC treatment.

Main Results:

  • Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors like cetuximab show promise in HNSCC, often inducing autophagy.
  • Targeted agents can induce cellular stress, activating prosurvival autophagy.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy's role in HNSCC treatment is complex and not fully understood.
  • Modulating autophagy, potentially by combining inhibitors with inducers, represents a promising strategy for novel HNSCC therapies.

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