Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Epigenetic Landscape

Abstract

Head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) constitutes the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide. The molecular pathogenesis of HNSCC includes disorders in cell cycle, intercellular signaling, proliferation, squamous cell differentiation and apoptosis. In addition to the genetic mutations, changes in HNSCC are also characterized by the accumulation of epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA activity and RNA methylation. In fact, some of them may promote cancer formation and progression by controlling the gene expression machinery, hence, they could be used as biomarkers in the clinical surveillance of HNSCC or as targets for therapeutic strategies. In this review, we focus on the current knowledge regarding epigenetic modifications observed in HNSCC and its predictive value for cancer development.

Chorioallantoic membrane tumor models highlight the effects of cisplatin compounds in oral carcinoma treatment

“…Although the excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol are the main risk factors for the development of head and neck tumors with 5- to 25-fold increase in the onset of new cases, the incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancer has shown a dramatic raise over the past 50 years ( McDermott and Bowles, 2019 ). Advanced stages of HNSCCs are associated with increased tumor aggressiveness, which involve specific genetic and epigenetic landscapes such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH), gene deletions/deregulation, and DNA/RNA methylation ( Robert et al., 2008 ; Romanowska et al., 2020 ). The genetic deregulation causes alterations in the major processes involved in the cell cycle, growth, motility, and migration.…”

The Prognostic Value and Immune Landscapes of a m6A/m5C/m1A-Related LncRNAs Signature in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Some evidences show that epigenetic changes (including: DNA methylation, histone covalent modification, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) activity and RNA chemical modifications) are often related to oral carcinogenesis, tumor malignancy and resistance to treatment ( Castilho et al, 2017 ; Romanowska et al, 2020 ). Increasing evidence suggests that dynamic RNA modifications pathways are also misregulated in human cancers (including HNSCC, lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, et al) and may be ideal targets of cancer therapy ( Barbieri and Kouzarides, 2020 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ; Huang et al, 2021 ).…”

Head and Neck Cancers Are Not Alike When Tarred with the Same Brush: An Epigenetic Perspective from the Cancerization Field to Prognosis

“…Although less explored than DNA methylation and miRNAs, histone modifications have also been reported in HNSCC and have been associated with patients' outcomes and cancer phenotypes. This is another potential field for the development of biomarkers, not addressed in this review (for further information, please refer to [285,[301][302][303][304]), and should be further explored. In OSCC, H3K9ac reduction was associated with the activation of epithelial-mesenchyme transition, cell proliferation, and poor prognosis [305]; also in OSCC, the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the consequent induction of cell proliferation and invasion were associated with increased H3K27ac through the activation of PLAC2, a long-noncoding RNA [306].…”