Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Modeling Oral-Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in 3D Organoids
Published on: December 23, 2022
Cortactin expression: Association with disease progression and survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Dominik Horn1, Madeleine Gross1,2, Gerhard Dyckhoff3,4
1Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Background:
Cortactin (CTTN) is located on chromosome 11q13 and is associated with invasiveness in various cancer entities. CTTN protein expression could be a prognosticator of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in terms of recurrence and survival.
Methods:
CTTN-dependent invasion was performed using migration assay in human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. Cortactin protein analysis in tissue microarrays was used for correlation with clinical parameters, as well as for survival analysis. Gene expression profiling in HNSCC cells was performed to unreveal CTTN signaling.
Results:
Knockdown of CTTN in HNSCC cells showed less invasion in vitro. Gene expression profiling showed various deregulated genes known to be involved in progression. We confirmed the link between CTTN overexpression and progression in a large clinical cohort. High expression was associated with worse overall and progression-free survival.
Conclusions:
We propose CTTN for managing OSCC in terms of adjuvant therapy and aftercare. Furthermore, our study reveals new potential targets in CTTN signaling for individualized OSCC therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Survival Curves
The Kaplan-Meier estimator is the most common method for constructing survival curves. This...
Survival Tree
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a...
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
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...

