Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
08:59

A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Published on: January 5, 2017

Nod-like receptors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Camilla Rydberg Millrud1, Anne Månsson Kvarnhammar, Janos Tajti

  • 1Division of ENT Diseases, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.

Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|September 24, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Head and neck cancer cells express Nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod)-like receptors (NLRs) differently than healthy cells. Nod1 stimulation in tumor cells triggers a unique immune response, suggesting bacteria may influence cancer inflammation.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod)-like receptors (NLRs) are pattern-recognition receptors involved in infection defense and increasingly implicated in cancer.
  • Their role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and expression of NLRs in HNSCC.
  • To determine the immunological response of HNSCC cells to NLR ligand stimulation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (Detroit-562, FaDu) and primary human nasal epithelial cells.
  • Employed immunohistochemistry, real-time RT-PCR, Luminex Multiplex Immunoassay, ELISA, and flow cytometry for analysis.

Main Results:

  • NLR expression profiles in HNSCC cells significantly differed from healthy epithelial cells.
  • Nod1 stimulation induced distinct immunological responses in tumor cells compared to normal cells, affecting β-defensin 2, GM-CSF, G-CSF, ICAM-1, and cell survival.

Conclusions:

  • Altered Nod1 expression and its immunomodulatory capacity in HNSCC suggest a novel mechanism for bacterial involvement in cancer inflammation.
  • This highlights a potential pathway for bacteria to influence the tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancers.

More Related Videos

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics11:28

Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics

Published on: May 11, 2016

Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment07:29

Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment

Published on: April 22, 2019

Related Concept Videos

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Enzyme-linked Receptors01:00

Enzyme-linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are proteins that act as both receptor and enzyme, activating multiple intracellular signals. This is a large group of receptors that include the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. Many growth factors and hormones bind to and activate the RTKs.
Neurotrophin (NT) receptors are a family of RTKs, including trkA, trkB, and trkC (tropomyosin-related kinase) receptors. TrkA is specific for nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-6, and neurotrophin-7. TrkB binds...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...