Malignant tumor cells outgrow new blood vessel formation and tend to be in hypoxic state. Hypoxic cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions by transforming its characteristics. On the other hand, one of the most important features of cancer cells is that carcinoma cells loses its inherent epithelial phenotype and acquires mesenchymal characteristics, called as epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT). It has been already well known that EMT contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis. The present study investigated whether hypoxia play a major role in induction of phenotypic changes of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Furthermore, the mechanism of EMT in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by hypoxia has been clarified. To mimic hypoxic condition, cobalt chloride and desferoxamine, well-known hypoxic mimetic agents, were used. This study shows that hypoxia suppresses the expression of E-cadherin(epithelial marker) and increases vimentin and N-cadherin( mesenchymal markers) in OSCC. In addition, α5 integrin protein, which is a receptor for fibronectin and an important molecule for tumor invasion, is prominently induced by hypoxia.

I. INTRODUCTION
 II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
  1. Cell culture
  2. Chemicals
  3. Western Blot Analysis
 III. RESULTS
  OSCC cells undergo EMT in hypoxic conditioninduced by cobalt chloride
  Hypoxic conditions induce changes in integrinexpression pattern in OSCC cells
  A PI3K/Akt p lays no role in EMT of hypoxicOSCC cells
 IV. DISCUSSION
 V. REFERENCES

• 김경아(School of Dentistry, Pusan National University) | Kyung Ah Kim
• 김지영(School of Dentistry, Pusan National University) | Ji Young Kim
• 유미현(School of Dentistry, Pusan National University) | Mi Heon Ryu
• 박봉수(Department of Oral Pathology, Oral Anatomy) | Bong Soo Park
• 정진(Oral Microbiology) | Jin Chung
• 박혜련(School of Dentistry, Pusan National University) | Hae Ryoun Park correspondence