Study on the factors increasing sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agents and to ionizing radiation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 12671668
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Otorhinolaryngology
• Research Institution: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: HIRATA Shitau Hiroshima University, Medical Hospital, Assistant professor, 医学部・附属病院, 講師 (60263696)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ONO Kunihiko Hiroshima University, Medical Hospital, Clinical Assistant, 医学部・附属病院, 助手 (60335669)
• Project Period (FY): 2000 – 2001
• Keywords: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma / MCL1 / HKR1 / ZK7 / chemotherapy / ionizing radiation

Research Abstract

Chemotherapy or radiotherapy has become a very important option for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) in order to preserve the patient's physical functions. For the aim to develop the more effective treatment than we have performed previously, we attempted to clarify the biological characteristics some genes in HNSCC. We evaluated expression of the BCL-2 family of genes by a RT-PCR assay in 16 samples of HNSCC and in corresponding normal head and neck mucosa (HNM). Expression levels of the MCL-1 gene were higher in HNSCC than in HNM. These results reveal that MCL1 plays an important role in molecular events for HNSCC progression. And we also evaluated expression of the ZK7 and HKR1genes in 38 HNSCC and 14 HNM samples. The expression levels of mRNA for ZK7 and HKR1 in HNSCC clinical specimens exposed to platinum drugs and/or ionizing radiation were found to be higher than those in non exposed specimens. Cell lines examination showed that ZK7 over-expressing cells had low sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin and ionizing radiation. These results suggest that ZK7 may inhibit apoptotic cell death in HNSCC.