Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

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

11.1K

Ran promotes the proliferation and migration ability of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

Chong Zhang1, Xida Zhao2, Weidong Du3

  • 1Center for Implant Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Shenyang, China.

Pathology, Research and Practice
|April 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

High Ran expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) correlates with poor survival and increased metastasis. Targeting Ran may offer a new strategy for HNSCC treatment and prognosis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive cancer with high recurrence rates.
  • Ran, a Ras-related GTPase, is implicated in metastasis in various cancers, but its role in HNSCC is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression and role of Ran in HNSCC.
  • To determine if Ran can serve as a prognostic indicator for HNSCC patients.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to assess Ran expression in HNSCC tissues and cell lines.
  • Cell proliferation, migration, and protein expression were analyzed using CCK-8, FCM, and transwell assays after Ran downregulation.

Main Results:

  • Ran expression was significantly higher in HNSCC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues.
  • Higher Ran expression was associated with increased tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, recurrence, and reduced overall survival.
  • Downregulating Ran inhibited HNSCC cell proliferation and migration and reduced Met protein levels.

Conclusions:

  • Ran promotes proliferation and migration in HNSCC cells.
  • Ran may play a critical role in HNSCC development and progression.
  • Ran represents a potential novel prognostic biomarker for HNSCC.
Keywords:
HNSCCImmunohistochemistryMigrationProliferationRanSurvival rate

More Related Videos

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

12.0K
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

8.9K

Related Concept Videos

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...
5.0K
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
6.0K
The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
4.6K
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
5.1K
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...
7.6K
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
5.2K