Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 12, 2024
The Novel Prognostic Biomarker MAPK12 Promotes Migration, Proliferation, and Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell
Yuxi Cheng1,2, Tianyi Liu3, Manyu Li4
1Xiangya Stomatological Hospital & Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
Background:
The prognosis and survival rate of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain a serious public health concern. Therefore, elucidation of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the biological behavior of HNSCC is crucial for the development of effective treatment strategies.
Materials And Methods:
In this study, we analyzed TCGA database and found that MAPK12 was overexpressed in tumor samples compared to normal samples, which was confirmed by microarray expression profiles, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry.
Results:
Cell functional experiments, including the cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing test, and transwell assay, revealed that MAPK12 overexpression increased the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSCC cells. A correlation was observed between MAPK12 expression and patient survival in HNSCC across several clinicopathological variables, including disease grade and stage. Analysis of immune-related functions demonstrated that HNSCC patients with low MAPK12 expression had a more favorable tumor immune microenvironment and better immunological functions.
Conclusion:
Collectively, our study identified for the first time that MAPK12 is upregulated in HNSCC, functioning as an oncogene, indicating a suppressive tumor immune microenvironment and poor prognosis since it could promote cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. However, further studies are needed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role of MAPK12 in HNSCC and other tumor types.
Related Concept Videos
MAPK Signaling Cascades
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Abnormal Proliferation
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
