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Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 20, 2018
Identification of novel therapeutic targets for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through bioinformatics analysis
Eun-Jeong Jeong1,2, Eunjeong Kim3, Yeon Soo Kim4
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
Abstract:
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous cancer with limited therapeutic options. Using publicly available datasets, we identified the WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) gene as a potential therapeutic target in HNSCC. Gene expression profiling interactive analysis version 2 (GEPIA2) was used to identify genes differentially overexpressed in HNSCC. Our results showed that WDR54, a member of the WD40 repeat domain family, was overexpressed in HNSCC tumor samples. Analysis of three gene expression omnibus datasets showed that WDR54 was overexpressed in tumor samples. Using the UALCAN database, we showed that WDR54 expression in patients with HNSCC at different tumor stages gradually increased with disease progression. We confirmed the association between WDR54 and metastasis using TNMplot.com. WDR54 was overexpressed in metastatic samples compared to that in normal and tumor samples. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high WDR54 levels had a poorer prognosis. Additionally, WDR54 expression was correlated with the epidermal growth factor receptor, which is frequently overexpressed in HNSCC. Our findings suggest that WDR54 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in HNSCC.
Insights
WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) is overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), correlating with advanced disease and poor prognosis. This gene represents a potential therapeutic target for HNSCC.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a significant challenge due to its heterogeneity and limited treatment options.
- Identifying novel therapeutic targets is crucial for improving patient outcomes in HNSCC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of the WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) gene as a therapeutic target and biomarker in HNSCC.
- To analyze WDR54 gene expression patterns and their correlation with clinical parameters in HNSCC patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized publicly available datasets, including Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) via GEPIA2 and UALCAN.
- Analyzed gene expression data, tumor stage, metastasis, and patient survival using bioinformatics tools like TNMplot.com and Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Main Results:
- WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) was found to be significantly overexpressed in HNSCC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues across multiple datasets.
- WDR54 expression levels increased with tumor progression and were associated with metastasis.
- High WDR54 expression correlated with a poorer prognosis in HNSCC patients and showed a positive association with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression.
Conclusions:
- WD repeat domain 54 (WDR54) is a promising biomarker for HNSCC progression and metastasis.
- WDR54 represents a potential novel therapeutic target for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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