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Updated: Oct 5, 2025
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Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
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A dysbiotic microbiome promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Daniel N Frank1, Yue Qiu2,3, Yu Cao2,4
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA. daniel.frank@cuanschutz.edu.
Oncogene
|January 28, 2022
Summary
Oral dysbiosis, an imbalance in oral bacteria, is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Manipulating oral microbiota impacts HNSCC development, suggesting a causal role for dysbiosis in this cancer.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oncology
- Oral Health
Background:
- Dysbiotic oral microbiota and tumor-resident bacteria are increasingly implicated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
- Previous research suggests alterations in specific bacterial species, such as Lactobacillus spp. and Neisseria spp., in HNSCC patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and validate oral microbial signatures in treatment-naïve HNSCC patients.
- To investigate the disease-modifying effects of oral microbiota on HNSCC development.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of oral microbiota in HNSCC patients versus healthy controls.
- Antibiotic depletion of microbiota in a 4-Nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced HNSCC mouse model.
- Microbiota transfer experiments in germ-free orthotopic mouse models.
- Analysis of Lactobacillus spp. enrichment and aryl-hydrocarbon receptor activation in tumors.
Main Results:
- Confirmed elevated Lactobacillus spp. and diminished Neisseria spp. in human HNSCC.
- Microbiota depletion delayed oral tumorigenesis in mice, while microbiota transfer accelerated it.
- Observed Lactobacillus spp. enrichment in murine HNSCC and aryl-hydrocarbon receptor activation in both murine and human tumors.
Conclusions:
- Oral dysbiosis is associated with HNSCC development.
- The oral microbiome plays a significant role in promoting HNSCC progression.
- Targeting oral microbiota may offer therapeutic strategies for HNSCC.
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