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

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PKC-δ attenuates the cancer stem cell among squamous cell carcinoma cells through down-regulating p63

Dongmei Zhang1, Mingjing Fu2, Lingyan Li2

  • 1Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.

Pathology, Research and Practice
|August 1, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Protein kinase C delta (PKC-δ) suppresses squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) progression by reducing cancer stem cells (CSCs). This tumor suppressor down-regulates p63, inhibiting SCC cell proliferation and CSC activity.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Protein kinase C delta (PKC-δ) is recognized as a tumor suppressor.
  • The role of PKC-δ in regulating cancer stem cells (CSCs) within squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate PKC-δ's regulation of CSCs in SCC.
  • To elucidate the involvement of p63 in this regulatory pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry of human SCC tissues to assess PKC-δ expression.
  • Recombinant adenovirus infection of SCC13 cells to determine proliferation.
  • Western blot analysis for PKC-δ and p63 correlation.
  • Assessing colony formation and CSC markers (integrin α6, CD71).

Main Results:

  • PKC-δ expression was significantly lower in SCC tissues compared to normal skin.
  • Overexpression of PKC-δ reduced elevated p63 protein levels in SCC.
  • PKC-δ transfection suppressed SCC13 cell proliferation and decreased CSC activity and markers induced by p63.

Conclusions:

  • PKC-δ acts as a protective factor in SCC.
  • It exerts its function partly by down-regulating p63.
  • This leads to reduced SCC cell proliferation and suppressed CSC activity and expression.
Keywords:
Cancer stem cellsPKC-δSquamous cell carcinomasp63

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