Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen for Unveiling Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Genes
Published on: May 23, 2025
ISG20 is overexpressed in clinically relevant radioresistant oral cancer cells
Hitoshi Miyashita1, Motoi Fukumoto2, Yoshikazu Kuwahara3
1Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Oral Medicine and Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University Sendai, Japan.
Abstract:
Global standard fractionated radiotherapy (RT) for the treatment of malignancies consists of X-ray irradiation with 2-Gy/day, 5 days a week for 5-7 weeks. Recently, clinically relevant radioresistant (CRR) cells were first defined as cells that can continue to grow even after exposure to daily 2-Gy of X-rays for more than 30 days in vitro. To analyze the characteristics of radioresistant cancer cells, CRR oral cancer cells (CRR-OCCs) were established, and the expression level of interferon-stimulated exonuclease gene 20 (ISG20) was evaluated with qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis. Our result revealed that the expression level of both ISG20 mRNA and its protein in CRR-OCCs were higher than those of corresponding parental cells. We concluded that ISG20 was statistically overexpressed in CRR-OCCs. ISG20 overexpression may be necessary for the radioresistant phenotype in CRR-OCCs, and targeting ISG20 of human cancer cells may lead to more efficient RT or chemoradiotherapy for eliminating cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...

