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Fascin 1 plays important pro-metastatic roles in head and neck carcinoma (HNSCC) migration, invasion, and metastasis. However, limited advancement in targeting metastasis remains a major obstacle in improving HNSCC patients' survival. Therefore, we assessed the therapeutic potential of fascin 1 targeted inhibition and its potential prognostic value in HNSCC patients. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we investigated the effect of compound G2, a novel fascin 1 inhibitor, on HNSCC cells migration, invasion, and metastasis. High-throughput screening (HTS) was used to assess cytotoxic activity of compound G2 alone or combined with irradiation. We also evaluated the prognostic potential of fascin 1 in HNSCC patients. Interestingly, compound G2 reduced carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro and inhibited metastasis in vivo. Moreover, HTS revealed a modest cytotoxic activity of the compound G2 on HNSCC cell lines. Irradiation did not synergistically enhance the compound G2-mediated cytotoxic activity. Survival analyses showed that high fascin 1 immunoexpression, at the tumor invasive front, was associated with cancer-specific mortality in the advanced stages of HNSCC. Collectively, our findings suggest that fascin 1 represents a promising anti-metastatic therapeutic target and a useful prognostic marker in patients with HNSCC. Novel anti-metastatic agents could provide a valuable addition to cancer therapy., (© 2021 The Authors. European Journal of Oral Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Scandinavian Division of the International Association for Dental Research.)

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are nonselective, often resulting in severe side effects and the development of resistance. Therefore, new molecular-targeted therapies are urgently needed to be integrated into existing treatment regimens. Here, we performed a high-throughput compound screen to identify a synergistic interaction between ionizing radiation and 396 anticancer compounds. The assay was run using five human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines cultured on the human tumor-derived matrix Myogel. Our screen identified several compounds with strong synergistic and antagonistic effects, which we further investigated using multiple irradiation doses. Navitoclax, which emerged as the most promising radiosensitizer, exhibited synergy with irradiation regardless of the p53 mutation status in all 13 HNSCC cell lines. We performed a live cell apoptosis assay for two representative HNSCC cell lines to examine the effects of navitoclax and irradiation. As a single agent, navitoclax reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the navitoclax-irradiation combination arrested cell cycle progression and resulted in substantially elevated apoptosis. Overall, we demonstrated that combining navitoclax with irradiation resulted in synergistic in vitro antitumor effects in HNSCC cell lines, possibly indicating the therapeutic potential for HNSCC patients., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Tongue cancer is more common in men than in women. Yet the effects of sex steroid hormones on the behaviour of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) are not well known. Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8) is expressed in OTSCC and can degrade estrogen receptors (ERs)., Materials and Methods: Western blot was used to examine the levels of ERβ in OTSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-25). We evaluated the effects of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on HSC-3 and SCC-25 cell migration, invasion and viability. The effect of estradiol on the invasion of MMP8-overexpressing (MMP8 + ) and empty vector HSC-3 cells was examined using 3D spheroid invasion assay., Results: Both HSC-3 and SCC-25 cells expressed ERβ. In scratch assay, estradiol, but not DHT, reduced the migration and invasion of HSC-3 and SCC-25 cells. MMP8 + HSC-3 cells showed weaker invasion than empty vector cells, in line with previous reports. However, MMP8 overexpression did not alter the effect of estradiol on HSC-3 cell invasion in spheroid assay., Conclusion: Estradiol inhibited the migration and invasion of OTSCC cells, whereas DHT had no effect. Our data suggest that MMP8 does not modulate the effect of estradiol in OTSCC cells. However, the sex difference in OTSCC incidence might partly be due to protective actions of estradiol in epithelial cell carcinogenesis., (Copyright© 2020, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are commonly isolated from bone marrow and adipose tissue. Depending on the tissue of origin, MSCs have different characteristics and physiological effects. In various cancer studies, MSCs have been found to have either tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibiting action. This study investigated the effect of adipose tissue-MSCs (AT-MSCs) and bone marrow-MSCs (BM-MSCs) on global long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) methylation, the expression level of microenvironment remodeling genes and cell proliferation, migration and invasion of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). Additionally, we studied the effect of human tongue squamous carcinoma (HSC-3)-conditioned media on LINE-1 methylation and the expression of microenvironment remodeling genes in AT-MSCs and BM-MSCs. Conditioned media from HSC-3 or MSCs did not affect LINE-1 methylation level in either cancer cells or MSCs, respectively. In HSC-3 cells, no effect of MSCs-conditioned media was detected on the expression of ICAM1, ITGA3 or MMP1 . On the other hand, HSC-3-conditioned media upregulated ICAM1 and MMP1 expression in both types of MSCs. Co-cultures of AT-MSCs with HSC-3 did not induce proliferation, migration or invasion of the cancer cells. In conclusion, AT-MSCs, unlike BM-MSCs, seem not to participate in oral cancer progression.

The interaction between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a major role in cancer progression. Therefore, understanding the TME is essential for the development of cancer therapies. We used four (primary and metastatic) head and neck (HN) SCC cell lines and cultured them on top of or within 5 matrices (mouse sarcoma-derived Matrigel®, rat collagen, human leiomyoma-derived Myogel, human fibronectin and human fibrin). We performed several assays to study the effects of these matrices on the HNSCC behavior, such as proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as cell morphology, and molecular gene profile. Carcinoma cells exhibited different growth patterns depending on the matrix. While fibrin enhanced the proliferation of all the cell lines, collagen did not. The effects of the matrices on cancer cell migration were cell line dependent. Carcinoma cells in Myogel-collagen invaded faster in scratch wound invasion assay. On the other hand, in the spheroid invasion assay, three out of four cell lines invaded faster in Myogel-fibrin. These matrices significantly affected hundreds of genes and a number of pathways, but the effects were cell line dependent. The matrix type played a major role in HNSCC cell phenotype. The effects of the ECMs were either constant, or cell line dependent. Based on these results, we suggest to select the most suitable matrix, which provides the closest condition to the in vivo TME, in order to get reliable results in in vitro experiments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In vitro cancer drug testing carries a low predictive value. We developed the human leiomyoma-derived matrix "Myogel" to better mimic the human tumor microenvironment (TME). We hypothesized that Myogel could provide an appropriate microenvironment for cancer cells, thereby allowing more in vivo-relevant drug testing. We screened 19 anticancer compounds, targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MEK, and PI3K/mTOR on 12 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines cultured on plastic, mouse sarcoma-derived Matrigel (MSDM), and Myogel. We applied a high-throughput drug screening assay under five different culturing conditions: cells in two-dimensional (2D) plastic wells and on top or embedded in Matrigel or Myogel. We then compared the efficacy of the anticancer compounds to the response rates of 19 HNSCC monotherapy clinical trials. Cancer cells on top of Myogel responded less to EGFR and MEK inhibitors compared to cells cultured on plastic or Matrigel. However, we found a similar response to the PI3K/mTOR inhibitors under all culturing conditions. Cells grown on Myogel more closely resembled the response rates reported in EGFR-inhibitor monotherapy clinical trials. Our findings suggest that a human tumor matrix improves the predictability of in vitro anticancer drug testing compared to current 2D and MSDM methods.

Objectives: Immunotherapy and personalized medicine therapeutics are emerging as promising approaches in the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In spite of that, there is yet no assay that could predict individual response to immunotherapy., Methods: We manufactured an in vitro 3D microfluidic chip to test the efficacy of immunotherapy. The assay was first tested using a tongue cancer cell line (HSC-3) embedded in a human tumour-derived matrix "Myogel/fibrin" and immune cells from three healthy donors. Next, the chips were used with freshly isolated cancer cells, patients' serum and immune cells. Chips were loaded with different immune checkpoint inhibitors, PD-L1 antibody and IDO 1 inhibitor. Migration of immune cells towards cancer cells and the cancer cell proliferation rate were evaluated., Results: Immune cell migration towards HSC-3 cells was cancer cell density dependent. IDO 1 inhibitor induced immune cells to migrate towards cancer cells both in HSC-3 and in two HNSCC patient samples. Efficacy of PD-L1 antibody and IDO 1 inhibitor was patient dependent., Conclusion: We introduced the first humanized in vitro microfluidic chip assay to test immunotherapeutic drugs against HNSCC patient samples. This assay could be used to predict the efficacy of immunotherapeutic drugs for individual patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Currently, in vivo model for personalised cancer drug testing is challenging. A zebrafish larvae xenograft model has been applied in recent years to cancer research, particularly for drug testing purposes, showing promising results in drug testing against patient-derived tumour xenografts. Currently, these xenograft models apply imaging techniques to measure drug efficacy. However, this method carries several limitations, including timely imaging, thereby reducing the available number of tested fish and drugs. Here, we propose a PCR-based fast assay to evaluate drug efficacy in a zebrafish larvae xenograft model., Methods: We tested two primary and corresponding metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines and patient-derived tongue cancer sample applying zebrafish larvae xenograft model. Cisplatin efficacy was tested using imaging technique and compared the results with PCR-based methods. Drug screening of eight compounds was applied on both cell lines and patient sample using PCR., Results: In a head-to-head comparison, all the three techniques (imaging, quantitative PCR, and droplet digital PCR) showed similar reduction of the cancer cells growth after cisplatin treatment. Using the quantitative PCR assay, we demonstrated a dose-dependent response of HNSCC cells to cisplatin. Drug screening results of four HNSCC cell lines and patient sample revealed different drug efficacy between tested cancer cells., Conclusion: We introduce a novel, easy, fast and cost-effective PCR-based in vivo zebrafish larvae assay to test the response of cell lines and clinical tumour samples to anti-cancer drugs. This method goes hand-by-hand with the commonly used imaging assay.

Two-dimensional cell culture-based assays are commonly used in in vitro cancer research. However, they lack several basic elements that form the tumor microenvironment. To obtain more reliable in vitro results, several three-dimensional (3D) cell culture assays have been introduced. These assays allow cancer cells to interact with the extracellular matrix. This interaction affects cell behavior, such as proliferation and invasion, as well as cell morphology. Additionally, this interaction could induce or suppress the expression of several pro- and anti-tumorigenic molecules. Spheroid invasion assay was developed to provide a suitable 3D in vitro method to study cancer cell invasion. Currently, animal-derived matrices, such as mouse sarcoma-derived matrix (MSDM) and rat tail type I collagen, are mainly used in the spheroid invasion assays. Taking into consideration the differences between the human tumor microenvironment and animal-derived matrices, a human myoma-derived matrix (HMDM) was developed from benign uterus leiomyoma tissue. It has been shown that HMDM induces migration and invasion of carcinoma cells better than MSDM. This protocol provided a simple, reproducible, and reliable 3D human tumor-based spheroid invasion assay using the HMDM/fibrin matrix. It also includes detailed instructions on imaging and analysis. The spheroids grow in a U-shaped ultra-low attachment plate within the HMDM/fibrin matrix and invade through it. The invasion is daily imaged, measured, and analyzed using ilastik and Fiji ImageJ software. The assay platform was demonstrated using human laryngeal primary and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. However, the protocol is suitable also for other solid cancer cell lines.

Alongside cancer cells, tumours exhibit a complex stroma containing a repertoire of cells, matrix molecules and soluble factors that actively crosstalk between each other. Recognition of this multifaceted concept of the tumour microenvironment (TME) calls for authentic TME mimetics to study cancer in vitro Traditionally, tumourigenesis has been investigated in non-human, three-dimensional rat type I collagen containing organotypic discs or by means of mouse sarcoma-derived gel, such as Matrigel ® However, the molecular compositions of these simplified assays do not properly simulate human TME. Here, we review the main properties and benefits of using human leiomyoma discs and their matrix Myogel for in vitro assays. Myoma discs are practical for investigating the invasion of cancer cells, as are cocultures of cancer and stromal cells in a stiff, hypoxic TME mimetic. Myoma discs contain soluble factors and matrix molecules commonly present in neoplastic stroma. In Transwell, IncuCyte, spheroid and sandwich assays, cancer cells move faster and form larger colonies in Myogel than in Matrigel ® Additionally, Myogel can replace Matrigel ® in hanging-drop and tube-formation assays. Myogel also suits three-dimensional drug testing and extracellular vesicle interactions. To conclude, we describe the application of our myoma-derived matrices in 3D in vitro cancer assays.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Extracellular vesicles and the tumour microenvironment'., (© 2017 The Authors.)

The alpha2A-adrenoceptors (α2A-ARs) are Gi-coupled receptors, which prejunctionally inhibit the release of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (Epi), and postjunctionally inhibit insulin secretion and lipolysis. We have earlier shown that α2A-/- mice display sympathetic hyperactivity, hyperinsulinemia and improved glucose tolerance. Here we employed α2A-/- mice and placed the mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) to test the hypothesis that lack of α2A-ARs protects from diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In addition, a high-caloric diet was combined with running wheel exercise to test the interaction of diet and exercise. HFD was obesogenic in both genotypes, but α2A-/- mice accumulated less visceral fat than the wild-type controls, were protected from T2D, and their insulin secretion was unaltered by the diet. Lack of α2A-ARs is associated with an increased sympatho-adrenal tone, which resulted in increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation rate potentiated by HFD. Fittingly, α2A-/- mice displayed enhanced lipolytic responses to Epi, and increased faecal lipids suggesting altered fat mobilization and absorption. Subcutaneous white fat appeared to be thermogenically more active (measured as Ucp1 mRNA expression) in α2A-/- mice, and brown fat showed an increased response to NE. Exercise was effective in reducing total body adiposity and increasing lean mass in both genotypes, but there was a significant diet-genotype interaction, as even modestly increased physical activity combined with lack of α2A-AR signalling promoted weight loss more efficiently than exercise with normal α2A-AR function. These results suggest that blockade of α2A-ARs may be exploited to reduce visceral fat and to improve insulin secretion., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

A gain-of-function polymorphism in human neuropeptide Y ( NPY ) gene (rs16139) associates with metabolic disorders and earlier onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Similarly, mice overexpressing NPY in noradrenergic neurons (OE-NPY DBH ) display obesity and impaired glucose metabolism. In this study, the metabolic syndrome-like phenotype was characterized and mechanisms of impaired hepatic fatty acid, cholesterol and glucose metabolism in pre-obese (2-month-old) and obese (4-7-month-old) OE-NPY DBH mice were elucidated. Susceptibility to T2D was assessed by subjecting mice to high caloric diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin. Contribution of hepatic Y1-receptor to the phenotype was studied using chronic treatment with an Y1-receptor antagonist, BIBO3304. Obese OE-NPY DBH mice displayed hepatosteatosis and hypercholesterolemia preceded by decreased fatty acid oxidation and accelerated cholesterol synthesis. Hyperinsulinemia in early obese state inhibited pyruvate- and glucose-induced hyperglycemia, and deterioration of glucose metabolism of OE-NPY DBH mice developed with aging. Furthermore, streptozotocin induced T2D only in OE-NPY DBH mice. Hepatic inflammation was not morphologically visible, but upregulated hepatic anti-inflammatory pathways and increased 8-isoprostane combined with increased serum resistin and decreased interleukin 10 pointed to increased NPY-induced oxidative stress that may predispose OE-NPY DBH mice to insulin resistance. Chronic treatment with BIBO3304 did not improve the metabolic status of OE-NPY DBH mice. Instead, downregulation of beta-1-adrenoceptors suggests indirect actions of NPY via inhibition of sympathetic nervous system. In conclusion, changes in hepatic fatty acid, cholesterol and glucose metabolism favoring energy storage contribute to the development of NPY-induced metabolic syndrome, and the effect is likely mediated by changes in sympathetic nervous system activity., (© 2017 Society for Endocrinology.)

The crosstalk between immune cells, cancer cells, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cancer cells remains poorly understood. We created three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models using human leiomyoma discs and Myogel to study the effects of immune cells on highly (HSC-3) and less (SCC-25) invasive oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) cell lines. Additionally, we studied the effects of EVs isolated from these cell lines on the cytotoxicity of CD8 + T and NK cells isolated from three healthy donors. Our analysis included the effects of these EVs on innate immunity in zebrafish larvae. Activated immune cells significantly decreased the proliferation of both OTSCC cell lines and associated with a diminished invasion area of HSC-3 cells. In general, EVs from SCC-25 increased the cytotoxic activity of CD8 + T and NK cells more than those from HSC-3 cells. However, this effect varied depending on the source and the immune and cancer cell subgroups. In zebrafish, the amount of IL-13 mRNA was decreased by SCC-25 EVs. This study describes promising in vitro and in vivo models to investigate interactions between immune cells, cancer cells, and EVs., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Conclusion: Finnish head and neck cancer (HNC) patients show signs of severe malnutrition already at presentation, measured by bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA). BIA may be a practical method to detect malnutrition, analyze body composition, and to identify high-risk patients in this population., Objectives: BIA is a validated method for evaluating body composition and detecting malnutrition. Low phase angle (PA) is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Vector analysis (BIVA) provides a qualitative measure for hydration and cell mass, independent of body size. This study describes BIA results in Finnish HNC patients at presentation., Methods: Forty-one newly-diagnosed HNC patients at the Helsinki University Hospital were included. BIA measures (resistance, reactance, PA, fat-free mass index [FFMI], and fat mass index [FMI]), body mass index (BMI), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) were determined., Results: The majority of patients were men (78%), with a normal average BMI of 25.2. Low FFMI was seen in 44% of women and 28% of men. The PA (median = 4.6; IQ range = 4-5) was lower than the reference values in 76% (n = 31) of cases. In BIVA, only 13 (32%) of the patients were within normal range and 15 (37%) were plotted in the quadrant indicating malnutrition.

Reliable and efficient PCR and extension reactions using standardized procedures are key elements for successful single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping projects. To improve the cost efficiency and overall performance of SNP genotyping we evaluated two commercial thermostable DNA polymerases used for the extension reaction in the homogeneous mass extension MassARRAY genotyping system. The aim was to study whether the quality, accuracy, and expenses of a new TERMIPol DNA polymerase are competitive to the commonly used ThermoSequenase DNA polymerase. We compared the enzymes by testing 96 SNPs genotyped for DNA samples of 31 unrelated individuals and one water control. The success rates, congruence between the genotypes and completeness of extension reactions support the use of TERMIPol, especially when the amplification of the higher mass allele is difficult. Further, using TERMIPol enabled successful genotyping (>93%) of several SNPs that failed (<80% success) when using ThermoSequenase.