Epithelial – mesenchymal transition in OSCC
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: To examine which transcription factors that may be involved in the EMT-process in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC), we performed a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine the expression levels of EMT-associated transcription factors and TGF-b1, -2, -3 on sorted epithelial and mesenchymal sublines from the OSCC cell line SCC9. DNA-primers for TGF-b1, TGF-b2, TGF-b3, Twist1, Twist2, Snail1, Snail2, Smad3, Smad7, ZEB1, ZEB2, E-cadherin and Vimentin were synthesized and used in the study. cDNA was amplified by qRT-PCR and either the delta-delta Ct method or a simple delta Ct method were used to estimate the relative mRNA level for a given transcription factor or other EMT-related factors. EMT-related transcription factors are generally increased in the mesenchymal subline, but there were some surprises as Snail1 is more expressed than Snail2, Twist2 >Twist1; ZEB1>ZEB2 and TGF-b3 was apparently the dominating TGF-b family member that were expressed in the mesenchymal subline. Additionally, there was a higher Smad 3 (pro) and lower Smad 7(inhibitory) expression of in the mesenchymal subline, which further emphasize the importance of TGF-b activity in the EMT process. Thus, EMT in OSSC may predominantly be mediated through a TGF-b3 and Smad dependent signaling pathway that induce EMT via increase in the transcription factors Snail1, Twist2, ZEB1. Inhibiting this pathway may inhibit OSCC local infiltration and ability to form distant metastasis, and therefore increase patient prognosis.
Author: Unai Mangal
Language: English
Topic: Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2894380147