Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Fabrication of Tongue Extracellular Matrix and Reconstitution of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro
Published on: June 20, 2018
Extracellular interleukin-17F has a protective effect in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma
Rabeia Almahmoudi1, Abdelhakim Salem1,2, Meri Sieviläinen1
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Background:
Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is characterized by early metastasis and poor prognosis. Interleukin-17F (IL-17F) plays a protective role in many tumors. However, IL-17F expression in oral tongue SCC tissue has not been investigated.
Methods:
Immunostaining of 83 oral tongue SCC specimens and blinded-scoring were used to map IL-17F expression, location, and distribution. Survival curves were constructed according to Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazard model was applied for univariate and multivariate survival analyses.
Results:
Mast cells are the major source of IL-17F in oral tongue SCC. In multivariate analysis, only the extracellular mast cell-derived IL-17F at the tumor invasion front was associated with better disease-specific survival in patients with all-stages and early-stages of oral tongue SCC.
Conclusion:
Extracellular mast cell-derived IL-17F is antitumorigenic in oral tongue SCC. It separates patients with early-stage disease who are at high risk from patients who are at low risk. Furthermore, when analyzing tentative prognostic molecules, we conclude that in addition to the staining intensity, attention must be paid to the cellular source, distribution, and location of the molecule.
Related Concept Videos
Tongue
Anatomical Position in the Oral Cavity
The tongue is located within the oral cavity, also known as the mouth. It is attached to the floor of the mouth by a fold of mucous membrane called the...
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The Tongue and Taste Buds
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
The Extracellular Matrix
Protection of Alcohols
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...

