chemokine CXCL14 is a predictive biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24792261
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Kanagawa Dental College
• Principal Investigator: OZAWA Shigeyuki 神奈川歯科大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 助教 (40434394)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 頭頸部癌 / テーラーメイド医療 / メチル化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, has been successfully applied in some patients with HNSCC. For effective treatment, it is essential to first identify Cetuximab-responsive patients. When we compared the expression of chemokine BRAK in HNSCC cells, both Cetuximab responsive HSC-3 and non-responsive YCU-H891 cells, we found expression of this chemokine only in the responsive HSC-3 cells. We also found that the promoter region of YCU-H891 cells were hyper methylated, and demethylation of this promoter recovered BRAK mRNA expression together with in vivo tumour-growth suppression by Cetuximab. Additionally, YCU-H891 cells were engineered to express BRAK in the presence of doxycycline in mice. Cetuximab-dependent tumour suppression was observed in vivo by doxycycline administration in the drinking water of the mice. These results indicate that BRAK expression would be a predictive biomarker for Cetuximab-dependent tumour suppression.

Free Research Field

歯学